In The Blink Of An Eye
by LizD
Summary: In the blink of an eye, Booth's world changed.  -  NOT A SNIPER STORY!  Is now complete
1. Chapter 1

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Booth's world changed.

Things were finally getting back to normal, well _**normal**_ was relative.

Normal for who?

Normal for when?

Normal how?

It would be more correct to say that things were settling down – at least in Booth's mind. They had pulled their second case in as many days and seemed to be working well together and it was (dare he think it?) OK. But then, in a blink of an eye, he got blindsided and his world changed. Not just his world, but everyone connected to him.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The holidays were strained and uncomfortable for him; actually it started before the holidays with Brennan's revelation. He couldn't get it out of his mind every time he looked at her, spoke to her, heard her voice. She had never broken down like that with him and never about him or her or them. She just looked so sad. He was sorry that he was the one to cause her pain and he tried to convince himself that it was not intentional nor could it have been helped. It was just bad timing. He let her down as gently as he could. Not the first woman he had to '_let down_' but certainly the most important one. He couldn't bring himself to ask if they could still work together; he didn't want to give her an opening to say 'no.' He had meant what he said about his feelings for Hannah, but he couldn't help feeling guilty and a little sad. He tried to believe that he was sad for Brennan, but he was really sad for himself. Sad to be happy when she wasn't. Sad to know he missed what he could have had with Brennan – whatever that would have turned out to be.

In Booth's mind Brennan slipped back into her super-genius, over-analytical, completely detached-from-the-world shell almost immediately which naturally made him feel responsible. She barely looked at him, not like she used to anyway. No searching stares hoping to see … who knows what she was looking for when she looked at him that way. He had known what he was looking for, but he never got it – well hadn't gotten it until that rainy night after he had given up all hope and moved on. He had never known what she was searching for, but clearly he hadn't given it to her.

Her voice was distant and professional now – in his mind – not the soft private tone she saved just for him. Personal conversation evaporated into the thick air that divided them. He didn't feel right talking about Hannah, she didn't ask and since Hannah was all over his personal life, there was nothing left to discuss … on his side. On her side, he couldn't ask her about anything personal; he suddenly felt like he didn't have the right to know, the right to care, the right to have an opinion. The lunches and drinks after work had already been fewer and farther between, but now invitations weren't extended at all. There was no pretense at normality. They didn't have a case over the holidays and they didn't socialize, so for nearly six weeks they spoke briefly on the phone most days. Brennan had gone out of town from Christmas Eve though New Year's Day to visit her brother and his family, so Booth was off the hook for contacting or seeing her on Christmas. The weeks since then it was awkward, but luckily they didn't have a case and since work was all they shared anymore, there was no reason to be together not even for coffee.

Hannah seemed like she was blissfully oblivious to all of it. She didn't seem to notice that Booth didn't mention Brennan anymore, and didn't have much to say when asked. 'Fine' was the word he used most often not bothering to point out that he hadn't talked to her. Hannah didn't seem to think there was anything wrong when Brennan didn't accept an invitation for shopping, lunch or any other event. Hannah was busy; Brennan was busy. They were busy women. And in all honesty, Booth had to wonder if Hannah really liked Brennan, of if she was only making the effort because of him and if he wasn't making the effort there was no reason she had to anymore.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

So anyway, things were finally getting back … on track. Booth and Brennan had been working this new crime scene for about an hour. Cam, Brennan and Hodgins were all there gathering evidence from the explosion. At first look Cam and Hodgins had declared it an accident; a minor traffic accident, a fluke, that caused one car to roll over and explode. The presumption was that it was the gas tank that exploded. The family inside the sub-compact car died, so it was much more severe than a MINOR traffic accident. The driver of the SUV was fine physically. Brennan of course would reserve judgment until all the evidence was analyzed. The only reason the FBI and the Jeffersonian were involved at all was due to the fact that the driver of the smaller car was on the Homeland Security Watch List.

Booth was being his typical self; pacing, taking notes, trying to coax a definitive answer out of Brennan before she was ready to give it. He almost commented about how normal it felt to be working together again, but didn't want to bring up the recent awkwardness between them. He just wanted to go back to the way they were. Truth be told, he missed her in his life. Without his daily dose of Bones, he just wasn't complete.

"Come on, Bones, you gotta give me something here," he pleaded. Just then his phone rang. He held up a finger for her to hold her thought. Keeping his eyes on hers, he answered the call without looking at the caller ID. "BOOTH," he barked. Upon recognizing the caller, Booth broke eye contact; he blinked. "I understand, thank you for calling." He continued to listen to the person on the other end. "Yes, absolutely. … Yes. … Yes. … Right away." He snapped his phone shut. He finally looked back at her. His eyes were red and wet. "Rebecca's dead," he stated. He looked around: confused, lost, helpless. "I need to get to Parker."

* * *

**A/N:** So is anyone interested in this story? Big changes for Booth. Who will rise to the occasion and who won't? Though you probably know the answer, would you like to read my little story? Alerts and comments are always welcome, appreciated and very much considered.


	2. Chapter 2

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 2

In the blink of an eye, Brennan's world changed.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

For Brennan since before the holidays, the situation was normal, better than. Things were fine, things were good, things (whatever _**things**_ actually meant) were as they should be. After that rainy night her world righted itself and it didn't take the expected three days. She was no longer sad, she was (dare she think it?) hopeful. If she could love Booth, if she could desire a long term relationship with anyone, then she was ready to open her heart and take a chance. She was prepared to risk pain to find joy; that was huge for Brennan. She had to appreciate that Booth was instrumental in getting her to that revelation, and she was grateful to him. She considered him a friend and a partner and was happy for him that he had found someone with whom he could share his life. He wanted that, needed that kind of love in his life more than she did, but her turn would come as long as she was ready for it. Next time she would be and she knew there would be a next time, she just didn't know who that would be.

She noticed that Booth was awkward around her, but she didn't question it. She noticed that they didn't talk much anymore, but didn't question it. It was what it was. She wasn't avoiding him and she didn't believe that he was avoiding her. She stayed as constant as she could - albeit less invested. She wouldn't rely on Booth they way she did before; it wasn't fair to him it certainly wasn't fair to her. He shouldn't be, couldn't be, wouldn't be her surrogate mate anymore. She had known that before, but she really hadn't changed her behavior. She needed to do that. She needed to give him the freedom to do what he needed to do for himself. She would have the same freedom. It would free them up to be partners again - work partners - like they used to be.

It was true that she took more of her meals alone, worked in her office alone, spent more time alone; but she didn't feel alone, nor did she feel lonely. She spent time with Angela, her father, her brother and his family. She had a number of projects that she had been putting off due to her workload with the FBI that she finally had an opportunity to resume. She started another book and was deep in the research for that. Her research had led her to contact an Archeologist from Ireland, Ian O'Dwyer. They started communicating via email several times a week and they seemed to have a great deal to talk about. Other than his work, she knew little about him, but maybe next time she wrote, she would ask. Maybe not. Maybe she would save all non research related questions for when they met in person. That was in the planning stages for when the weather got better in Ireland – spring, early summer. In the end, she was fine. She was happy … to be more precise, she was content ... and hopeful.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

So nearly five weeks after that realization, it finally seemed that she and Booth would resume their partnership without all the awkwardness. Booth seemed to be more playful with her than he had been in months. He was calling her Bones again (he had stopped that after that night in the rain). He was smiling at her again. He was easy. He had that sparkle in his eye that implied that he was happy to see her. It had been a long time since she had seen that, since before she went to Maluku. She surmised that it had little to do with her and concluded that it must have to do with Booth's general state of happiness. In any event, she was glad that the awkwardness was gone. She was happy about that. She had missed him; missed him for a long time.

They had been called to another crime scene and were instructed that this one take priority due to the sensitive nature of the driver of the smaller car. Brennan hated that kind of preferential treatment. She typically ignored it. All victims needed her one hundred percent attention (at least while she was working on their case). She had voiced that rather loudly in the car ride over. It was actually nice to be debating a case point again rather than avoiding personal subjects.

They had been there for about an hour. Booth was nagging her for preliminary information as he typically did. She looked up at him from her crouched position about to repeat for the umpteenth time that she would not offer an opinion until she had all the facts. She was formulating the words when his phone rang. He gestured for her to wait. She watched as the color in his face drained away. His breathing became erratic. His eyes stayed fixed on hers, but it was obvious that he had stopped seeing her. Then he blinked and looked away. Brennan stood up and stepped toward him. He reactively stepped back. Brennan waited. Then he snapped his phone shut and remained silent. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she wasn't sure how he would react. She wanted to ask what had happened, but allowed him to find his own voice.

He finally looked up at her. His eyes were red and wet. "Rebecca is dead," he stated.

Brennan was speechless. Cam and Hodgins were watching but couldn't hear what was going on. The body language told them that whatever it was it was serious.

He hesitated. "I need to get to Parker," his voice was full of pain and he was clearly confused about what to do as if he had forgotten how to walk, move, act. He was looking around as if for something that would tell him what he should do.

Brennan felt the overpowering need to help him, protect him, comfort him. A year ago it would have been natural, now was she was unsure of her place, but the pain in his eyes was tangible. She needed to do something. She pulled off her latex glove and reached out and grasped his arm. He didn't pull away.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth looked back up into her eyes; she felt his pain, his loss, his confusion. "Rebecca is dead," he repeated as if saying it again would finally get it to register.

"How?" Brennan asked but it didn't matter.

"___Epidural hematoma_?" he said as if asking what it meant. "She tripped down some stairs at work yesterday and hit her head. She refused to go to the hospital." He looked back up at Brennan. "She's dead."

"I'm sorry," Brennan said resisting the urge to explain what an epidural hematoma was.

"I need to get to Parker," he restated. He turned and started for the SUV.

Brennan gave a quick glance at Cam who had been witnessing the entire exchange but still didn't know what was going on. Cam nodded once. Brennan ran after him stripping off her jumpsuit.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth attempted to walk around to the driver's side but Brennan directed him to the passenger's. He took her direction well - surprisingly.

"You aren't supposed to be driving an FBI vehicle," he commented when she gunned the engine, but really didn't care.

"You can arrest me later," she said flatly probably meaning it. "Is Parker in school today?"

"Yes," Booth answered quickly. Then he looked over at her in terror. "I think he is. I mean he should be. I talked to him this morning -." Booth dropped off remembering the conversation with Parker. He rubbed his hands over his face. "He said his mother had a headache and asked if I could pick him up today because she was not going to work." He looked away. "What do I say to him?" he asked rhetorically. "I have notified more than a few families, but -."

"Booth, this is not a notification. This is a father telling his son that his mother has died."

He looked at her. She continued to glance between him and the road. "What do I say?" he pleaded.

Brennan shook her head. Her only experience with the loss of a parent was when Russ and she were forced to accept that their parents weren't coming home. No one came. No one said anything. There was nothing definite. She remembered wishing that someone had come. That someone had an answer. That someone would tell her what happened even if they were dead. Not knowing was so much worse - it had to be. "You tell him the truth," she said evenly.

It was simple advice, but it was real. It was what Booth needed to hear.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan pulled into the school parking lot. She told him to wait by the car. She ran into the administration office and explained the situation. They started to question her authority, her relationship to Parker and Rebecca Stinton. She shut them down quickly and decisively. She told them to pull Parker out of class. The vice principal stepped in, offered her office and left immediately to go get Parker. Brennan ran back out and waved Booth inside. He followed her instructions.

He paced for a moment in the principal's office. Brennan touched his arm. He again turned his gaze on her. It seemed to calm him, ground him, steady him. She slid her hand down his arm and laced her fingers through his and pressed. His eyes softened. She wanted to give him her strength and he seemed to take it. She nodded for him to sit down. He did and took several deep breaths. She slowly pulled her hand from his and left to meet Parker in the hall.

Parker, bright eyed and happy to be getting out of class, came around the corner with the vice principal. He took one look at Brennan and his glee faded. "Dr. Bones?" he asked. His first thought must have been that something had happened to his father.

She directed him in to the office and stepped out. She watched as Booth told his son that Rebecca was dead. Parker had a lot of questions. Booth had limited answers. Parker kept asking becoming more agitated. Booth shook his head not knowing how to answer. Parker started to cry. Booth wrapped him up in his arms and cried with him. Brennan's heart broke for them. It seemed like a long time before they were able to speak again. Brennan kept a watchful eye on the pair protecting their privacy. Parker asked another question and Booth was able to nod. He wiped the boy's eyes and his own, and stood up. Taking Parker's hand he led him out of the office.

Parker looked up in to Brennan's face. Brennan didn't know what to say, but her expression showed how sorry she was for him. Parker put his arms up and Brennan leaned down to hug him. He clung to her very tightly. It scared her a little but she didn't let go. She held on to the boy tightly.

"I'm taking him home," Booth announced to whoever was listening. It was followed with a number of mumbled apologies about the loss. He put his hand on the boy's head and Parker finally let go of Brennan.

Brennan's eyes were wet now too. She looked up into Booth's face and was sorry. Sorry for Parker. Sorry for Booth. Sorry for Rebecca, though her suffering was now over. Sorry for being weak. She wanted to be strong for him. He gave her a sad smile and she returned it. He slid his hand down to Parker's shoulder and directed him to the SUV.

Brennan trailed after them. Her mind started spinning to what would come next and how this fractured family would put the remaining pieces of their lives back together. She knew that their lives would never be the same, and was beginning to appreciate that hers would also be affected. She wanted to help. She thought of her own loss and her heart broke all over again for Parker. No child should have to lose a parent so young. Booth had lost his mother when he was young too. He never talked about it, never talked about her. Brennan had to think that there was a lot of pain around that for him even at this stage in his life. He would have to draw on that to help Parker; Brennan wondered how Booth would handle that.

Booth and Parker shared a private look. Brennan felt like an intruder. She shouldn't be there. It wasn't her place. Maybe she had done enough. Maybe she should just slip away. Parker looked back at her and put out his other hand for her to take. She stepped up and took it. Booth looked over at her and nodded. Whatever her role was with this family, she had it and they were grateful for her presence in their lives particularly at this difficult time.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N:** Thank you all for your comments and alerts. I hope your faith in me and this story is rewarded.


	3. Chapter 3

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 3

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Parker sat up front, Booth drove. Brennan slipped into the back seat. There was no talking in the car as each was lost in thoughts of the past and future, no one wanted to think about the present. Booth's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was a call from the FBI. He hit ignore. Brennan tapped him on the shoulder. Wordlessly he understood and handed her the phone. She would make the necessary calls. She would field the unnecessary ones. Booth's priority had to be Parker. There was so much to do, so much to consider, so much to decide. But nothing drastic would happen that day - so much already had.

They arrived at the house and Brent (aka Captain Fantastic) was there. Booth had assumed that Brent was living with Rebecca and Parker, but he wasn't. They had talked about getting married years ago, but apparently nothing came of it. Brent and Parker hugged – albeit briefly. Brent and Booth shook hands. Brennan was not introduced but they acknowledged each other. Parker claimed that he was going to his room. Brennan stepped outside to make some phone calls. Booth and Brent were left alone to talk.

"Is he … OK?" Brent asked.

"Hard to say," Booth said looking down the hall where his son had disappeared. He looked back at Brent. The man looked wrecked. "Are you?"

"No." Brent swallowed hard. There was so much spinning in his head. "I should have forced her to go to the hospital."

Booth wanted to agree with him but kept his comment to himself.

"She said it was a stupid accident … she just had a headache." He looked up at Booth, hoping for some sort of absolution even though he wouldn't accept it if it were offered. "I wasn't here last night … I just got back from a tour yesterday. I was with my son. I should have come over. I should have come over, but she told me not to. She had a headache." The man was nearly in tears.

Booth recognized a man struggling to keep it together; he had his own issues on that front. He put a brotherly hand on Brent's shoulder. "Come on, Brent. Sit down. How about a drink? I know I could use one. The sun must be over the yardarm somewhere in the world, huh?"

Brent looked out the window as if he were going to respond to the yardarm comment. Booth patted him gently and gestured toward the table. Brent sat and nodded up toward the cabinet above the refrigerator where the liquor was stored. Booth poured them both a few fingers of scotch and left the bottle out on the counter. There was no toast, there was no camaraderie; just company sharing misery. They drank.

Brent needed to talk. "Rebecca wouldn't marry me," said by way of explanation of the state of their relationship. He played with the rim of his glass.

Booth didn't know how to respond but he completely understood about being rejected by Rebecca.

"I asked – repeatedly," he went on. "I love her. Loved her," he corrected. "I love Parker, too. He and my son are good friends. I wanted us to be a family." He looked up at Booth. He wanted to clarify that he wasn't taking Booth's place in Parker's life, but he saw that he didn't need to. Booth understood. "She just didn't want to get married." He wiped at his eyes. "I was wearing her down though," he smiled. "I wasn't going to give up. She would have changed her mind … eventually she would have changed her mind."

Booth nodded wondering if all men thought all women would change their minds eventually. Booth never did; he was always wrong.

Brent took a deep breath trying to control the quiver in his voice. "She left everything to Parker. The house. The life insurance. Everything. She has a 401(k) and some investments - for Parker's college. You're to take custody of him and act as executor until he reaches twenty-five."

Booth really didn't want to talk about all the legal stuff. He knew it already. They had discussed it. He remembered agreeing to whatever Rebecca wanted because it was an absurd idea that she would die. Booth was the one who put his life in danger on a daily basis. Booth needed a will. Booth needed to make arrangements so his son would be taken care of if he died. Rebecca should have been the one to see Parker through the loss of a parent.

"There needs to be lilac at the funeral. It was her favorite flower," Brent went on. "And she wants to be cremated and her ashes spread in the ocean. I can … " He dropped off. He would offer his cruiser to do that, or take them out on his boat. "Rebecca loved the ocean."

Booth didn't know that lilac was her favorite flower, or that she wanted her ashes spread on the ocean. Brent knew her so much better. Brent would have been the one to take care of all the arrangements if they had been married. That task now fell to Sherry - the sister.

"I called her sister. She will be flying in tomorrow." Brent looked back at Booth. "She is the co-executor."

Booth nodded again. Rebecca's sister never liked Booth. She hated him. Felt that Booth abandoned Rebecca. That he didn't MAN UP and take responsibility. Over the years Rebecca tried to explain, but Sherry wouldn't listen. It didn't matter that Booth was there every weekend for his son (more if she would have allowed it), that he never missed a child support payment and even sold his house a few years back to help Rebecca buy hers for Parker to get him into a better school. There was nothing Booth could do in Sherry's mind - he was scum.

Sherry was the perfect daughter, sister, wife, mother, community member. She had married her college sweetheart. They had three kids and sensible house in Connecticut. She didn't work, she didn't have to; her husband have a very lucrative accounting agency. Her life was building a home for her husband and children. She was very involved in the community and active in the PTA, girl scouts, boy scouts, anything that the kids were into. She hosted gourmet dinner parties for her husband's clients. She organized the book club that met once a month like clockwork. She was normal. Rebecca had told Booth on more than one occasion that Sherry was just too normal. They joked that she would blow one day and God help anyone standing nearby.

"The pilot on the water heater goes out … often. There are some loose shingles on the garage roof that need to be repaired before the rain. The gardener comes on Thursdays and the trash is picked up on Tuesdays." Brent swirled the liquid in his glass before downing the rest of it. He was just talking to be talking. He couldn't allow his mind to think about his loss. "Rebecca didn't go food shopping. I can do that for you? I know what Parker likes."

"You don't have to do that," Booth assured him. "But thank you for the offer." Booth looked down the hall. "I'm going to go check on Parker," Booth said.

"Yeah," Brent looked down and back up quickly. "I really care about that kid," he said. "I want to stay a part of his life."

"Of course." Booth nodded. He had never really given Brent a chance. But he was a good guy. He wondered why Rebecca wouldn't marry him either.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan made all the calls she knew she had to make: FBI, Jared, the Jeffersonian and Hannah. FBI was fine. They'd handle it. They were good in crisis. That's who they were. The cases would be turned over to another agent; the court appearances would be handled. The people from the Jeffersonian were better than great. Angela and Hodgins were on their way over with food because: '_it's what you do, sweetie._' Cam was off to the hospital to get more information about Rebecca. Booth would want to know when the shock wore off. There might be cause for a malpractice suit (not that it would make any difference, but she knew Booth would want to know). Sweets heard somehow and called Brennan. He offered to come immediately. Brennan made him promise that if he came it would be as a friend only. Sweets agreed. Tonight was for a friend and his son, tomorrow and the coming weeks, months, years, would be for Dr. Sweets, and he would be there too. Max had called her to ask about the lunch. She stood him up. She told him what was going on. He asked if he could come. Brennan started to say that he didn't need to at least not that night, but Max reminded her how close he and Parker were. She agreed that it might be good. No one was planning on staying long and all would be back the next day and the next and the next to help in any way they could.

The call to Hannah was odd – even odd for Brennan. Brennan had called twice; once before the call to the FBI and once again before the call to the Jeffersonian. She left messages asking her to return the call as soon as she could. The third time Hannah picked up. She was about to go into a press conference and was hurried. Brennan told her what happened. Her first response was to say that she didn't know Rebecca very well as if her death (while sad and tragic) didn't mean anything. Brennan suggested that Booth might need her support at this time. To that she responded by saying that Booth and Rebecca were never married (as if that meant that her death wouldn't affect him). Brennan restated her support comment and included Parker. Hannah hedged and promised to come when press conference was over and she had posted her story. Brennan didn't know how to respond.

"I don't do death very well," Hannah explained as if that were an acceptable excuse.

Brennan didn't speak.

"Besides, you're there. You'll know what to say better than I will."

Brennan hung up. She didn't know what she would say to Booth; if she should lie or tell the truth. Maybe he wouldn't ask. His relationship with Hannah was really none of her business. She should tell the truth. It wasn't her place to protect Booth at least not from the woman he loved who presumably loved him. It occurred to her that in all the time she and Hannah had spent together, she never actually told Brennan that she was in love with Booth. Or had she? Didn't matter. He was in love with her. He said it plainly and clearly a number of times. Hannah was no consolation prize.

What an odd expression: consolation prize. Brennan never thought Hannah was any kind of prize; as if Brennan herself was a prize or Booth. This was why she didn't like, understand or choose to enter into long term relationships - were really people just prizes to be won or lost? That night she told him that she had _'gotten the signal'_ (whatever that really meant, Micah explained it better). She told him that she didn't want any regrets. She wasn't asking him to break up with Hannah. She wasn't asking him to betray any commitment he had made to her. She wasn't really asking him for anything. She was telling him that she realized that she wanted more in her life, more with him, and that she had realized that she missed her chance and that made her sad. Typical Booth to think he needed to fix her problem. That he needed to rescue her. That it was his responsibility to give her what she needed.

But that was all for another time - or never. Now Parker must be considered above all else and by extension, Booth.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She was pacing in the front yard ostensibly waiting for Angela and Hodgins, but mostly she felt out of place inside. Booth came out to get his phone; he actually didn't need his phone, he needed to talk to her - not about anything specific, he just needed to hear her voice. She was reasoned, rationed; she wasn't an eleven year old boy who just lost his mother or a man who just lost the love of his life. Booth didn't need to watch what he said to her. He didn't need to support her, reassure her. She was there for him; his partner, his friend, his constant. Booth needed to be the practical one and Brennan could help with that. Yes, he loved Rebecca and would always love her, but Parker and Brent were hurting far worse than he was. He would grieve on his own time.

As Brennan made the hand off of the phone, Booth clasped the phone and her hand in his. The feel of her hand in his was exactly what he needed. It was soothing, safe, familiar. "Thanks, Bones," he said sincerely.

"Are you OK?"

"I don't think it has really registered yet. Brent is taking it hard." He pressed her hand warmly. "But I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not doing much." She launched into what she had been doing. It still didn't seem like much to her, but Booth was impressed. When she got to Hannah, she just said that Hannah would be there as soon as she could. It was a slight embellishment, but that was understandable considering the circumstances.

Booth stiffened when she mentioned Hannah's name. He hadn't thought about calling her before that moment. Brennan noticed his reaction and thought it was for another reason, so she changed the subject quickly. She asked about Parker.

"He's holding up. Not sure it has really hit him yet. He was talking about home work and cleaning his room. He's just like me; wants to keep things as normal as possible in the face of adversity."

"What will happen?"

"With Parker?" Booth cocked his head slightly. "He's with me now. Full time." Brennan had to wonder if it were really that simple. "Brent wants to remain in his life, so there will be some dinners and maybe a baseball game here who knows what else. I guess I underestimated him."

"I'm sure you haven't considered this, but how will raising your son affect you?" As soon as she said it she was sorry. He didn't need to think about that now. Whatever hurdle there was, he would clear it; that was never in doubt.

"It will be a change," he said simply. "But there's no other option. I don't want there to be." Booth hadn't had much time to think about how his life would change. There was the living arrangements and school to consider. The apartment was way too small for the three of them, and the house was Parker's. Could he and Hannah really move in to Rebecca's house? That didn't seem right but she would want Parker's life to be disrupted a little as possible. Booth didn't have a clue about Rebecca's estate and what managing that would entail. He of course would protect it for his son. Booth had, of course, been paying child support, but he really didn't know what it would cost to be a full time parent in terms of money or time.

Then of course there was Hannah to consider. Hannah and he were still feeling their way through their day to day existence. Hannah was warming to Washington and her job in the press corps, but she wasn't loving it, Booth could tell. They were still in that 'all sex' mode that came at the beginning of all Booth's relationships. Booth typically sidelined the heavy subjects with women by taking them to bed - well all except Brennan. With her, the moment a heavy subject came up, sex was off the table. Hannah didn't seem to mind sidelining anything. Hannah initially had concerns about Parker, but they seemed to have worked it out. From all he could tell they liked each other. But taking on the role of primary parent was not what Hannah had signed on for. She did like Parker, but was she ready to be a maternal influence in his life? Was Hannah ready to be part of a domestic family unit?

"Of course not," she agreed that Booth would naturally take Parker. That was not in question. Brennan wasn't thinking about Hannah, or Booth and Hannah, or Hanna and Parker. She was concerned about Booth. She was interested in how he would continue to work for the FBI and raise a son as a single parent (Hannah's job would not allow her to be much of a co-parent). "I mean your job, your work. Your hours are very erratic." The work wasn't just his. It was theirs. If he quit where did that leave Brennan professionally? Would they continue a personal relationship? How would she fit into his life, or would she? Did she want to? It was too soon to be thinking that way. "You don't have to know right now. It's just something to consider. Maybe you should take some time off."

"I could." He sat down on the steps. She sat down next to him. "I don't know Bones. I just don't know. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe it's time for me to make something other than my job a priority. I can get a job in security consulting." He laughed. "Better money, better hours. Rebecca would have loved that," he added sadly.

Brennan wanted to ask about how Hannah would fit into this domestic picture but didn't. She was still a little floored by the idea that Booth might actually quit. "Do you think Rebecca would have accepted your proposal if you had done that years ago?"

"Can't speculate about that now, Bones," he said gently. It occurred to him that he hadn't let go of her hand. He did slowly.

Just then Angela, Hodgins and Cam showed up. They hadn't timed it; it just worked out that way. True to promise there were there for less than thirty minutes. They hugged Booth. Hugged Parker. Dropped enough food to feed the Seventh Fleet. Asked several times if there was anything they could do, and promised to come back the next day. Cam took Brennan aside and updated her on what she had found out at the hospital. Rebecca had refused treatment. There was a case to be made that the EMTs should never have allowed her to refuse, but it probably wasn't worth the anguish it would cause to Parker. As they were leaving, Sweets and Max showed up with several neighbors and many of Rebecca's friends. Brent's brother came and his step-sister, several of Parker's friends and their parents and Parker's babysitter who had no idea what was going on. She didn't take the news very well but through her tears she helped as much as she could. It was an odd disjointed gathering. Most left in short order. Brennan thought about leaving with them, but Hannah still hadn't shown up.

Around ten it was time for Parker to go to bed. He wouldn't be going to school the next day. Booth assured him that. Booth walked Brent out and they stayed talking for a bit. Brennan and Maria cleaned up. She never stopped crying. Brennan walked Maria to the door. She looked toward the drive way and there was Booth and Hannah. They were in a tight embrace. Hannah's back was to her so Brennan got a shadowy look at Booth. His eyes were closed and he was holding her very tightly. It was the first time that day that Booth looked safe, protected, soothed. They looked natural together; they fit together perfectly. She was who Booth needed to get him through this crisis. Brennan felt a shock go through her body - like a nerve touched. She needed to make a hasty exit.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: Thank you all so much for your comments and alerts. It means the world. Stay tuned, the next chapter is interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 4

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"I'm sorry," Booth muttered into Hannah's hair. "I know this was a big day for you." Hannah was working on a big story, and she was to present it to her editor that day to get authorization to pursue it.

"It's not your fault."

"How did it go?"

"Rejected," she shrugged. She didn't like her editor for the Washington beat. The overseas editor trusted her instincts and gave her freer range to pursue stories that Hannah thought were important; sometimes it panned out, sometimes it didn't. She had spent the last two hours on the phone with her old editor discussing what was going on overseas. Hannah had to admit that her heart was just not into Washington Politics. "I'm not giving up," she assured him.

"I didn't expect that you would." He kissed her.

"So, are you ready to come home?"

There was a part of Booth that wanted nothing more than to lose his self and the events of that day in arms of Hannah. The world faded away when they were together in bed. It was a private haven safe from the troubles of the world. He reached up and touched her face, combed his fingers back through her hair. "I need to stay here," he said softly. "For Parker," he explained.

Hannah looked momentarily confused. "Is he OK?"

"He seems to be holding up, but he's eleven and he just lost his mother."

Hannah nodded but she really didn't understand. She had been on her own so long she had forgotten what it was like to be dependent on someone like a parent. Her parents were journalists and were always gone chasing some story or other. Hannah had been left with aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, strangers from the time she was a baby. By the time she was in high school she was essentially living on her own. When they were home she was the center of their world, but they weren't home that much. "How are you holding up?"

"Better now." He pulled her back into an embrace.

"I can't stay, Seeley," she told him. "We have wheels up at O'Dark-Thirty."

He released her. "Right, right ... you should go."

"Will you be OK?"

"I'm fine." He smiled at her.

"I'll call you tomorrow when we land."

"OK."

She kissed him. "I'm sorry you have to do this," she said sincerely. And she was sorry but she really wasn't appreciating the changes that were coming her way. "I wish I could help."

"I'm glad you came. Go get some sleep and call me when you can tomorrow."

"I should be back tomorrow night ... late," she said by way of consolation.

"I'll be here."

"Still?"

"Yeah."

Hannah didn't get it but she didn't have time to get clarification. If she was a sleep ten minutes after she got home she might squeeze in three hours before she had to get up and go again. "OK ... tomorrow." She kissed him again and jumped back into her car. With a wave and a smile, she was gone.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan was collecting her things when she remembered that she hadn't driven. She had no way to get home. She pulled out her phone to call a cab when Parker came out of his room.

"Dr Bones?" he called to her in a very tiny voice.

She put her phone back in her pocked. "Parker." She didn't know what to say or do. "Your father is just outside, shall I call him?"

"No, I just wanted to get a glass of juice."

"Ok, sure." Brennan went to the refrigerator and looked inside. Nothing looked like juice in there. Parker came around to help her. He pulled out a can of Orange Soda. "That's not juice," she said.

"Mom was supposed to go shopping yesterday."

Brennan's face washed with sadness. She was sure that there were a lot of things that Rebecca had left undone. She never expected to die. "I'm sorry, Parker," she said earnestly. He just nodded. He was about to open the soda but Brennan stopped him. "How about some water instead?"

He frowned and handed her back the soda. His mom never let him drink soda except on the weekends and never after he had already brushed his teeth. "Ok."

She got him the water. He turned to head back to his room. She followed. He climbed into bed but didn't lie down. "Dr. Bones, will you explain to me how my mother died?"

She wasn't sure what he was asking.

"Dad won't tell me or doesn't know, doesn't understand ... I mean I know she hit her head but I don't understand what happened."

Brennan came into the room. "You mean physically?"

"Yeah, you know all that stuff. I want to understand. I mean she hit her head yesterday and all she had was a headache. People don't die from headaches."

Sometimes people did die of headaches - well at least died with a headache. She sat down on the end of the bed. She could explain an ___epidural hematoma in scientific terms, but she needed to make it easy for Parker to understand. She called on all the advice she had been given when she was testifying. "Apparently when she fell, the injury to her head was severe enough to cause an epidural bleed. That is bleeding between the dura mater around the brain and the skull. Do you know what the dura mater is?" He shook his head. "It's a tough layer that surrounds the central nervous system and brain and carries blood from the brain toward the heart." She waited to see if he would question her, but he seemed to understand or at least accept it. "The bleeding causes a buildup of pressure inside the skull which puts pressure on the brain causing it to shift or lose blood supply. That caused the headache and eventually her death."_

___Parker nodded. "If she had gone to the hospital after she fell would she have been OK?"_

___"Possibly, but there is no way to be sure." She didn't want to explain about coma and possible permanent brain damage._

___"What would the doctors have done?"_

___Brennan wasn't sure if this was the right topic for Parker, but since he was asking, she thought the truth was better than some platitude. "They would have drilled a hole in the skull to relieve the pressure."_

___He nodded. "Will they do an autopsy?" _

___Brennan was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with his questions. She had some experience with working with the remains of her own mother and wouldn't wish that kind of pain on Parker. "I don't think so."_

___"If they do, will you do it?" _

___"No," she started to explain that there were other qualified pathologists but that it more than likely wouldn't be necessary. _

___"Would you do it? Please. I know you would do it right."_

___"I don't think it will be necessary, but -." She nodded to let him know that she would do it - rather the Jeffersonian would do it if one were necessary. _

___He nodded by way of a thank you. He thought for a moment, slid down under his covers. Brennan stood to walk out. "My mom wants to be cremated." Brennan accepted that Parker understood what he was talking about._

_"__There are many cultures that subscribe to cremation for burial. According to the Hindus, the body is a vessel to carry the soul. They believed that cremation was important for the spirit to detach from the body and encourage the spirit to pass into the other world. It is believed that it is only during cremation that the soul – or Atma – is able to join with the universal spirit – or Paramatma." _

___Parker seemed to consider that for a moment and then asked, "Will I get to see her before they do it?"_

___Brennan wasn't the right person to be asking these questions. "You will need to discuss that with Booth, your father."_

_"__I went to Uncle John's funeral … there was an open casket."_

_"__Your dad would know best about that," she deflected._

___"Do you believe in Heaven, Dr. Bones?" _

___She knew Booth would not want her to discuss her attitude about religion with Parker and definitely not on the night that his mother died. "Do you?"_

___"Jerry Wallace says that when people die they are just dead ... that there's no heaven or hell."_

___"Who is Jerry Wallace?"_

___"Some bid dumb jerk in my school."_

___"What do you believe?" she asked._

___"Church says there is a heaven. I think ... I think Mom is in heaven."_

___Brennan nodded. She gave him a smile. "Should probably get some sleep, if you can."_

___"Thanks, Bones." He said without his usual __joie de vivre____._

___"Good night, Parker."_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan turned off the lights in Parker's room and stepped into the hallway smack into Booth. He had been listening to their conversation outside the door. He smiled at her in an odd way. He reached out to take her hand and pressed it in his. "Just want to say good night to him." Was he asking her to wait?

She looked toward the kitchen then back at him. "Hannah?"

He shook his head.

Brennan didn't understand but nodded that she would wait for him.

Booth was in with Parker for a very short time. Parker was pretty tired. He probably wouldn't sleep through the night, but he would fall asleep in a few minutes now that the questions that had been plaguing him were answered. Booth rejoined Brennan in the kitchen. He picked up the bottle of scotch that had been shoved back on the counter out of the way. He held it up to her and she nodded back. He grabbed two glasses and they went to the living room. She sat on one end of the couch; he sat in the middle closer to her. She assumed it was so he could keep his voice down. He poured two glasses, handed one to her, touched her glass with his and drank. Brennan slowly brought the glass to her lips and tasted. She grimaced as the liquor when down. It was a subpar brand of scotch. Booth smiled. It was burning his throat too.

"Rebecca never was much of a drinker," he explained. He turned so he could face her. She did the same. He laid his arm across the back of the couch and let his hand rest lightly on her upper arm. It was a very intimate gesture she thought, but had no intention of pulling away.

"Hannah?" she asked again.

"Early flight to catch ... president is off to ... I don't know ... somewhere."

Brennan was confused why he wasn't more upset. The love of his life couldn't be bothered to change her busy schedule to help out in a family crisis and he didn't seem to notice or care. What could that mean that she wasn't there? Maybe Brennan didn't understand relationships at all - that was a better than even bet. She had no idea what lovers, significant others did in a situation like this. She had no idea what she was doing but every time he looked at her, she wanted to believe that he was grateful that she was there.

"Thank you, Bones." He squeezed her arm lightly. "Thank you for today, for being here." He looked back down the hall and then back at her. "For what you said to Parker."

"He asked me," she defended.

"I know," he smiled. "I heard it all. You were great."

"Will you let him see Rebecca?"

Booth took another drink. "I don't know. I guess I should see her first." He looked down at his hands. "I know what he is going through."

Brennan cocked her head. She wasn't going to ask, but if he wanted to talk about the loss of his mother, she was ready to listen.

"My mother died when I was young too – maybe thirteen or fourteen." He knew exactly how old he was. He was fifteen and Jared was eleven. It was about a year before his father left. He continued slowly remembering back to that time. "She died of cancer … I think it was ovarian. It was fast – about six months from the time she was diagnosed until she died. … She didn't go for treatments; I'm not sure it was even an option back then. … She was home until the end. She hated hospitals." He smiled weakly. "Could barely stand to stay with me when I broke my arm." He looked past Brennan to his past. "It was the first time I ever smelled death." He looked back at her. "To this day, every time we find a dead body and there is that smell, I'm brought back to my mom."

She put her hand on his arm.

"I'm OK – now I am. But I wasn't, not for years." He shook those memories away. "I knew it was coming. I mean she had talked to me about it. I was prepared – as much as a kid can be, but it still hurt like hell. I can imagine Parker will be going through the same thing – probably worse. This was so out of left field."

"He has you," she said implying that Parker would fare well because of Booth.

"I had Pops."

"He has you," she repeated.

"Yeah," he smiled at her. "He has a lot of people who love him." He squeezed Brennan's arm again. Then he dropped his head, closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You should probably try to get some sleep," she said without moving.

"I'm really beat," he stated.

She pulled away from him. That seemed to upset him. "I need to call a cab."

"Cab?"

"Yeah, I came here with you."

He shook his head. "Sorry … that feels like days ago."

"It's alright." She pulled out her phone and called.

Booth put away the scotch.

The cab was there quickly. Booth walked her out. She reached out to touch his arm. "Call me if you need to … anytime."

"Thanks, Bones."

She turned to get in the cab. He stopped her with a touch and pulled her into a full body embrace. He buried his face in her hair and held on. She returned the embrace. She felt the tension in his body. He was trembling. "I can stay," she offered.

"You have done so much already," he mumbled into her neck. He squeezed her tightly and then released her. "You go home. Get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She nodded and climbed into the cab.

"Be careful," he warned.

She waved and the cab took off.

Booth slowly turned and walked back toward the house. He wondered if he should have asked her to stay.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N:** So, Hannah ... what a _. At least Booth can count on Brennan. His eyes have to open sooner than later, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 5

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth was still asleep on the sofa when Sherry burst in. "What the hell are you doing there?" she barked.

"Good Morning to you, Sherry." He sat up and trying to stretch out the kinks in his back. He noticed that her hair, make-up and attire were absolutely perfect and appropriate for the occasion. She was dragging a suitcase that was probably also full of other appropriate outfits and two bags of groceries.

Sherry was the last of the Stinton family, though technically she was a Stinton-Lewis now. Her brother John died three years ago and now Rebecca was gone. Their parents had died within months of each other shortly after John. It had to be a lot for anyone to take. "I'm sorry we have to meet again under these circumstances."

"Humph," she gruffed. "Where's Parker?"

"Parker didn't sleep much last night, so if you could keep it down." Booth finally made it to standing. His back was killing him. He hadn't wanted to sleep in Rebecca's bed, but he couldn't sleep on the couch many more nights.

"You haven't made any of the arrangements, I suppose."

"Was waiting for you." That was the truth. "And I think you need to include Brent in the planning."

"Who?"

"Rebecca's … man-friend," Booth reminded her. "They were together for years. He wanted to marry her. He's pretty upset."

"You don't seem too broken up about it," she snapped.

"Sherry you never did and never will understand my relationship with Rebecca. I loved her and Parker couldn't have asked for a better mother. I will miss her ever day, but Parker is my concern right now."

"He won't be for long."

"Excuse me?" Booth had planned on treating Sherry with as much disinterest as possible. He wasn't going to fight with her. He knew she was a control freak so he thought it best to let her make the arrangements for the cremation, memorial service and cleaning out Rebecca's things. He of course would help her and be an advocate for Parker in all of that. Sherry had her own way of doing things and Booth thought it best to stay as far out of her way as possible. She would be gone in a few days, a week at the most. But that was where it ended. He knew he would have to contend with her until Parker turned twenty-five, but that would be just about the money. It would be handled over the phone and via email. There would be no reason they would have to be in each other's company after this. He believed that right up until her last comment. "What did you just say?"

"I said Parker won't be your concern for much longer." She glared at him. "He will - of course - be moving back to Connecticut with me."

Booth's eyes flashed in anger.

"You have to see that I can provide him a stable home, you can't."

Booth anger was reaching a full boil. It had never occurred to him that Sherry might take her co-executor position to that extreme. She of course didn't have a leg to stand on, Rebecca had given him full custody, but that wouldn't mean that Sherry couldn't make it difficult, more difficult than it already was. He was about to put her in her place in no uncertain terms, when Parker came out of his bedroom.

"Aunt Sherry?" he called in a sleepy voice. Parker liked his Aunt Sherry and Uncle Lou. He even liked his cousins well enough. But he didn't spend much time with them. Each year they would go up for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Labor Day and spend the weekend. He was always ready to go home when the time came. Everything was just too neat, orderly and organized up there.

"Hey, honey." Sherry moved toward him her voice now soft and sticky sweet. She gathered him up in a hug but released him quickly. He was hot and sweaty from his bed and he needed to brush his teeth and wash his face, in fact he needed to shower and wash his hair. "How are you?"

"OK," he said but his voice betrayed him.

Parker had a very difficult night. He woke around two calling his mother's name. Booth was right there for him. They stayed up talking most of the night. Parker had a lot of questions and a lot of concerns. Booth did his best to be straight and honest with him. Of course Parker's biggest concern was where he was going to live and who would take care of him. Booth said pretty matter-of-factly that Parker would be with him full time but then Booth asked if that would be OK. Parker assured him that it would be, but wanted to know about his stuff, and school, and his friends, and his soccer, baseball and football teams. If he went to live with Booth he would be out of zone for all of that. Booth told him that nothing would change right away. That he wouldn't have to move and so his school, friends, and after school events didn't have to change.

Parker seemed to accept that answer but didn't really think it was a good long term solution. His father lived with Hannah in the apartment, so did that mean Booth would be going back and forth between the house and the apartment like Parker used to? Parker didn't question it any further. Booth didn't want to get into the legalese of what would happen next, he wasn't sure himself, but whatever it was Parker would be affected the least - other than the fact that he had lost his mother.

They talked some about Rebecca too. They were even able to laugh through the tears about some of the good times and some fond memories of her. It was a truly bonding experience and Booth was glad there was no one there to interfere, so was Parker.

"I tell you what?" Sherry said pushing the boy away from her but holding on to his shoulders. "Why don't you go shower and get dressed and I will make you my famous waffles with strawberries."

"We don't have any strawberries," Parker told her.

"I stopped and got some," she stated. "Now run along."

Parker looked toward Booth who nodded once. "Go on, Bud." When Parker was safely out of the room Booth turned back to Sherry. "I will say this once, and once only: you are not taking my son anywhere. Do. You. Understand?" He fixed her with a glare that would have sunk gang leaders to their knees. Sherry was unphased. "Parker is my son. Rebecca gave me full custody. I will provide a stable home for him."

"How?" She glared back. "Between shoot outs with felons and your steady stream of women, do you honestly think that is a stable environment for a ten year old boy?"

"He's eleven," Booth corrected.

"Didn't you already have one of your criminals threaten Parker's life? Not only can you not provide a stable home, you can't even guarantee his safety, much less your own."

"This is not your concern, Sherry."

"HE IS ALL I HAVE LEFT OF MY FAMILY!" she shouted seconds away from breaking down. "Of my sister. I will not let someone like you take that away from me."

"Excuse me?" came a small voice from the kitchen door.

Both Booth and Sherry turned toward the sound. It was Maria, the babysitter/housekeeper. She looked worse now than she did the night before. "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Is this one of your women?" Sherry snarled at Booth. She blotted at her eyes to make sure her make-up hadn't run.

Booth bit his tongue. "Hi Maria, this is Sherry Lewis, Rebecca's sister."

"Hello, Ms. Lewis. I came to help. I am the housekeeper and I sometimes watch Parker when Rebecca is at work."

With Sherry engaged in ordering Maria around and chastising her for the cleanliness of the house, Booth thought it would be a good time for him to change. He went to his car and found only his work out gear. Sherry would hate it, but it would have to do.

He was just about to head into the house when he saw a Mercedes turn the corner at the end of the street. It looked like Bones' car. In fact it was Bones. She pulled up to the curb and got out. She didn't come around; she spoke to him from her side of the car.

"Bones?"

"I brought you some clothes and some other things from the apartment," she explained. "Hannah packed them for you last night, but was unable to bring them this morning before her flight."

Booth was touched that Hannah would think of that, and was a little uneasy that she would call Brennan to have her deliver it.

The truth was Brennan had talked to Angela the night before as she was driving home in the cab. She had expressed to Angela how helpless she felt. Angela suggested a few things that Brennan could do, and one of them was to bring Booth a change of clothes as he would probably not want to take the time to get back to his apartment to change. Brennan called Hannah, woke her up; asked if she could pack a bag for Booth and that she would bring it over. Hannah was asleep through most of the conversation until Brennan got to the part about having a key to Booth's apartment. With that Hannah came to full consciousness and asked why. Brennan deflected. She had one for years. She didn't remember when or why he gave it to her but he did. Booth had a key to her apartment too. It was a partner thing. Hannah didn't press it further, but said that the bag would be ready before she left at four AM.

"How was your night?" she asked noticing that he looked exhausted and that he was moving very stiffly. "You appear to be moving as if your back is out again."

"Couch back ... I'll be fine," he smiled though one of the Bones Adjustments would probably have gone a long way to improve his day. "The night was rough. The morning was rougher. Rebecca's sister is here."

Brennan nodded. Was she supposed to inquire about what transpired between the sister and Booth? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure where the line was between friendship, partnership and intimacy. A year ago she of course would have asked, and expected answers. A year ago he would have offered more information without waiting for her to ask. In the end she decided that she shouldn't press. She wasn't planning on staying, but again if Booth had asked she would have granted whatever his request was.

There was an awkward pause between them. Brennan went to retrieve the items from the trunk and Booth met her around the back of the car. She handed him the bag but couldn't look him in the eye. "I need to get to the lab; we have two bodies to process." She realized that Booth might feel like he was neglecting his job and she didn't want him to feel that way. "Perotta has taken over the cases. The FBI shouldn't be bothering you. You're needed here."

"Thanks, Bones." He smiled. "Seems I'm thanking you a lot."

"Partners," she reminded him as if there needed no other sign of gratitude or explanation.

Brent drove up and parked in the driveway. It was Brennan's opening to leave. Booth thanked her again for the change of clothes and again instructed her to be careful. "Lab work only," he warned.

As Brennan drove away she wondered why he was all of a sudden so concerned for her safety. Could the unexpected loss of someone heighten the fear factor for all other friends and associates in a person's life? It was unreasonable to think that she would be in any more danger than she was before Rebecca's death. She made a mental note to ask Sweets about that. She had a whole list of questions for Sweets.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N:** Truly appreciate the alerts, favorites and comments. Comments are great. I will try to respond to you all particularly if you ask a question or voice a concern, but RL keeps me from doing all that quickly. Sadly the hit count went down yesterday so I am not sure how many of you there are, but there are enough to cause me to want to update quickly and resolve this … well, very well.


	6. Chapter 6

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 6

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan stormed into Sweets' office while he was in session with someone. "I need to understand grief," she stated.

The agent on the couch took in interruption as a sign from God that he could leave. Sweets called after him saying that they were not done; the agent never looked back. He turned to Brennan. "We need to talk about boundaries," he stated. "And about respect, privacy and waiting your turn."

"Grief," she repeated. "I need to understand."

Sweet relented. "Fine, sit down." She did. "I assume this is about Rebecca and not about something else."

"Yes," Brennan said.

"There are generally thought to be five stages of grief," Sweets started.

"Yes, yes. I know the stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. That is not what I am asking."

"Then what -?"

"Parker confronted me last night asking all kinds of questions. He wanted to know how his mother died ... details of what physically happened in her body to cause her to die. He asked me to do the autopsy. Then he asked about cremation. He wanted to see her body. Then he asked about the afterlife."

"Wow." Sweets sat back. "That was some conversation. What did you say to him?"

"I told him the truth."

"The truth according to Dr. Brennan?"

She scowled at that question. "I told him what happened to the body of someone who dies of an epidural hematoma. I told him that an autopsy would probably not be necessary but agreed to do it if it was needed. I told him that many cultures believe in cremation."

"What did you say about the afterlife?"

"I asked what he thought."

"Very good Dr. Brennan. You will make a fine psychiatrist one day."

"If you're just going to be insulting, I will get a book on the subject."

"I was trying to give you a compliment."

"Why did he ask me? Why didn't he ask Booth?"

"Well, it would be my guess that he knows you, trusts you, and knows that you won't lie to him."

"Booth doesn't lie to his son."

"Booth evades the heavy topics to cause himself the least amount of discomfort."

She shook her head.

"Dr. Brennan, I need to ask you something. This is off the topic of grief but it is relevant. What is the status of your partnership with Booth?"

"I don't understand the question."

"I have noticed, everyone has noticed that the relationship between you and Booth is a bit ... shall we say ... strained since your return. I am not sure how to attribute that: the time away, Booth's new girl friend, or maybe the feelings you have for Booth and he has for you."

"Booth and I are fine."

"Dr. Brennan, you two are everything but fine. Not five weeks ago you had so overly identified with a case that you nearly got yourself killed. Before you left for Maluku, you never would have done what you did without Booth. Five weeks ago you completely shut him out - you shut everyone out."

"Does Booth tell you everything?"

Sweets laughed. "Not even most things."

"I don't want to talk about me; I want to talk about Booth - Parker, Parker Booth."

"Freud would call that a slip ... he even named it after himself suggesting that your misspeak was actually not at all; rather it was your unconscious desire to talk about Booth."

Brennan stood up. "I'm going to get a book." She started for the door.

"Wait, wait," he called after her. "Come back." She turned and waited. "Honestly, I will tell you what I know."

Brennan sat down and listened to Sweets discuss the effects of the loss of a parent on a child Parker's age and how best to help him deal with this grief appropriately. He again complimented Brennan on her responses - direct and honest to direct and honest questions. He told her that Parker needed

answers now; the concrete ones at first and later there will be more spiritual. He told her that he might experience some guilt that he didn't do something correctly that caused her to die. Typically for boys Parker's age they understand death. They have seen it on TV and in movies and video games. Maybe an animal or an older relative had died to expose them to the concept close to home. Brennan pointed out the Parker mentioned his Uncle John. Sweets went on to say that the research had shown that children between the ages of nine and twelve may experience feelings of helplessness and that may interfere with the drive for independence that typically accompanies that age. He went on to say that Parker was fairly advanced for his age, and that teenagers often look outside the family unit for support. Particularly in Parker's case because his family unit was completely lost; he would have to move into his extended family. Booth was a weekend father who would become the full time custodial parent. That would change their relationship. He suggested that a watchful eye be kept on him as he deals with his friends at school, there maybe be feelings of alienation. He may try to take on a larger role in the household to fill in for the loss of his mother, so it will be Booth's responsibility that Parker still gets to grow up doing all the things a kid should do. In the end, honesty and lots of open conversation, really listening to what he is saying was the best advice he could give.

"Finally, remember that he is a child. You may discuss something once or twice but he may need to talk about it a number of times in order to process it fully."

Brennan listened to all Sweets had to say. "Thank you," she stood to leave again.

"Dr. Brennan," Sweets called. "Can we talk about your ... partnership with Booth?"

"You think I am over stepping my relationship boundaries with Booth because of Hannah."

"You two have always been very close. So close that I interpreted that as love." Brennan bristled. "For many years you have been surrogate mates for the other. It is natural that you would want to help Booth through this process."

"But he's in a relationship now," Brennan finished his comment. "I know that Dr. Sweets. I am very aware of what Booth feels for Hannah, and what he doesn't feel for me."

Sweets found that a very interesting comment.

"I know I missed my chance with Booth, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about him anymore. Or that I shouldn't want to help him through a crisis. I know my place. We are still friends ... and partners for the moment."

"For the moment?"

"Booth may choose to leave the FBI in order to provide Parker with a home. In that case our partnership will be effectively over."

Sweets wanted to ask how she felt about that but knew he wouldn't get an answer. "There are a number of agents with families, Dr. Brennan."

"Booth will be a single parent."

"What about Hannah?"

Brennan wasn't about to answer that. "Thank you for your time Dr. Sweets. Next time I will knock first." She left leaving the door open.

"Or call and make an appointment," he called after her.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth had a vicious morning with Sherry. The only good thing was that Sherry liked Brent so they were off making all the arrangements. Booth's big task was to contact the lawyer. He had his copy of Rebecca's will, but he needed to make sure that nothing had changed and to verify with his lawyer and hers that Sherry's didn't have a case to make.

Booth's lawyer was a bit like Caroline - NO NONSENSE. She cut straight to the chase: a single parent, a field agent with the FBI who had irregular hours and repeatedly got into dangerous situations with a live in girl friend of less than six months who was also rarely home would not look good on paper. Sherry could make a case that a stable home life with stable parents and an established family unit would be more suitable. The fact that she is a blood relative will factor in but that does not trump Booth's paternal rights. The fact that Rebecca's will clearly states that Booth be given full custody weigh's in his favor as well, but cases that were built on thinner grounds have be brought before a family court. She further suggested that Booth should do everything in his power to keep that kind of decision away from a judge. It was not good for Parker and he could lose.

That left Booth with a lot to think about. He began questioning what was right for Parker. Booth didn't care about quitting the FBI. He would find work; that was not an issue. Security consulting would actually be more lucrative and would have better hours. The better money would be in overseas consulting, but that of course was out of the question. He also didn't need to leave the FBI. He had turned down several promotions in the past so that he could stay in the field. It might be time for him to look at one of those positions again. He had years at the FBI, there was no reason to lose that history. He could be a director, administrator, maybe a trainer. The drive to Quantico every day would be a bitch, but it wasn't the right time to sell the house. He needed to protect Parker's investment.

The work thing aside, he knew he could provide a home for Parker. He and Hannah were working toward getting married. She would probably not want to move in right away. She could keep the apartment and they could date - like normal people. Booth had begun to feel that things were moving too fast with Hannah anyway. He felt her pulling away, not acclimating to her job and living in Washington D.C. He believed it was only time that she needed, but maybe a little space was good too. It wasn't just for her sake. He might need to step back, slow it all down for a minute.

They had met in very strange circumstances: a war zone was really no place to begin a relationship. They were still all about the adrenaline and sex. The future they talked about was never further than the following night. They talked around subjects - got close and then diverted to the bedroom and that was only on the rare occasion when they were actually in the same time zone for more than two days. Hannah was away more than she was home. She seemed to like being a nomad. That was fine for Booth, but Parker needed someone with a bit more stability.

He needed to talk to Hannah. He hit the speed dial on his phone and waited. Brennan's voice mail came on the line. He was confused. He had planned on hitting 4 Speed Dial, not 2. He hung up without leaving a message and tried again. Hannah picked up. She was on her way to a meeting but she had two minutes.

"Well this is a longer conversation than two minutes, so I should wait," he said sadly.

"No, no, babe. Tell me what's going on," she encouraged.

"Rebecca's sister is here. They were very close. Anyway she thinks that she should take Parker. She has a husband and three other kids all around Parker's age. The kids all go to private school and are on track for an Ivy league education. They live in a huge house in Westport Connecticut. Very stable, very white bread - her husband is an accountant; she doesn't work. My lawyer thinks that she could make a pretty compelling case if it went to court."

Hannah was silent for a long moment. "Seeley are you expecting that you will be Parker's custodial parent now?" She was shocked. It never occurred to her that Booth would become a full time parent.

"Of course. He's my son."

"Yes, of course he is. And you're a great father, but are you really prepared to take on that role full time?"

"You don't think I can do it?"

"You can do anything you set your mind to, babe." She paused. "But is that really what is best for Parker? Private school, an ivy league education? Those are big in the grand scheme of success in life."

"I couldn't let him go to Connecticut."

"You would see him as much as you see him now. The trains, the shuttles ... it really wouldn't be that different."

Booth was silent.

"It's just something to think about."

"The service will be on Friday."

"What time, we are flying back in on Friday."

"It will be around three."

"I should be there by then." She pulled the phone away for a moment and spoke to someone else then she was back on the line "Look, Seel, I need to go. I'll call you tonight, we can talk more then."

"Sure."

"Love you, babe." With that she was gone.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth never felt more alone in his life but that only lasted a second. His phone which was still in his hand rang - the Caller ID said _**BONES**_. The picture was one he had taken of her leaning over the remains of someone, he couldn't remember anymore. But he had always admired her intense focus. It served to make her beautiful face, appear more beautiful.

"Hey Bones." He said forcing some cheer into his voice.

"What's the matter? You sound odd."

"Strange comment coming from you," he responded playfully.

"I missed your call. I was just checking on some results. I have cause of death for the first victim and we should have the ID within the hour." She paused briefly. "Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this."

"It's fine. Nice to know the world hasn't come to an end."

"Parker?"

"Was going to get him out of the house, do you want to meet us for a late lunch?"

She hesitated.

"Say, the diner in an hour?"

"Sure."

He wasn't sure he should broach the next subject with her and the phone was probably a bad choice but it was weighing heavily on his mind. "Sherry thinks that Parker should go live with her and her family in Connecticut."

"I'm not sure who Sherry is."

"Rebecca's sister."

"Oh."

She was silent. Booth needed to force her to give an opinion. "What do you think about that?"

"She is probably grieving and wants to hang on to her sister for as long as she can. Parker is an extension of Rebecca - at least in the sister's mind. In many cultures - actually all over the animal kingdom - the siblings of a dead parent take the children in and raise them as their own particularly if it is the female parent who is dead. It keeps the family bloodline stable and keeps the child rearing with the females."

"So you think it's a good idea," he prompted.

"You would never allow that," she stated simply.

Booth smiled. She was right. He would never allow that. "She could provide him with a two parent family, siblings, private school and an ivy league education."

"I can't imagine that anything could replace you in Parker's life. He has been raised in a single parent home, without siblings and he is very bright in spite of his public school education. You would never consider this as a viable alternative nor do I suspect would he. Why are we talking about this?"

With her usual pragmatic view of the world, Brennan just cut straight through all the bullshit. "We aren't." Booth's loneliness was gone. He had a village.

"You might want to bring Parker by the lab before we go to the diner. Hodgins is doing one of his experiments and the males here seems pretty excited. I'm not sure I understand all that they are doing, but ultimately, something will get blown up. The experiment should test our hypothesis of how the car exploded."

He loved how she could just move on to the next topic after so easily dismissing the first. As Parker would say - Bones is awesome.

"We're on our way."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: **Gotta love Bones. She doesn't play too much in the grays and shadows of the world. She calls 'em like she sees 'em. Think Booth got a real eye opening moment there, but it may take one more to push him over the edge.


	7. Chapter 7

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 7

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It was early evening as Brennan pulled up to Rebecca's house. Parker had left his backpack at the lab and she promised she would drop it by. Booth's SUV wasn't there but there was a rental car in the drive way and a car that she assumed was Brent's or Maria's as she had noticed it the day before. There were lights on in the house and she saw people moving around. She decided to take it up anyway and leave before Booth arrived. She didn't want to see him again that day. Lunch confused her.

Lunch was strange. Booth smiled at her they way he used to. He talked to her through Parker; or rather Parker was the main topic of conversation. Booth encouraged Parker to "tell Bones" things, things that had happened to him in the last year and a half. Brennan hadn't been up on all that had gone on in Parker's life because of her time in Maluku and because she wasn't invited very often to spend time with him since her return. Parker would occasionally mention Hannah and Brennan felt her spine tighten. She found that odd too because spines don't tighten but that was what it felt like. By time she was ready to go she was tight from her coccyx to Atlas (C1).

It wasn't Parker who made Brennan uncomfortable, and it wasn't the mention of Hannah; it was Booth. He smiled at her. He looked at her. Like he used to. His sparkling eyes drew her in. His charmed smile seemed to say that she was important to him. Like before. It felt like old times as if nothing had happened between them in the past year or more; not Sweets' book, not Booth's request or Brennan's refusal, not their parting, not Hannah, not Brennan's revelation and certainly not Rebecca's death. The whole scene made Brennan very uncomfortable. She felt herself being lulled back to believing that all was right between them. They he loved her - even platonically. That she was important to him. That they really were the only people each could rely on in the entire world.

Brennan couldn't go through that again. A year ago she left because Booth was too important. She couldn't protect him and she couldn't live in fear of losing him. She was better at accepting that now, and realized that separation is not a cure for worry; in fact it only served to intensify it. But there were still the facts: 1) Hannah and 2) Booth loved Hannah and finally 3) Hannah was not a consolation prize. Brennan's only place in Booth's life was as a work partner and social friend. So why was he pushing this old agenda? Was he pushing it? Was Brennan reading too much into his smile? Brennan couldn't speculate, but she would keep her distance and support Booth in a crowd from then on.

She went up to the door and before she could get there it flew open. Before her stood a woman who had many of the same skeletal features like Rebecca had. She was younger than Rebecca, but it was clear that she was the sister. She was dressed for deep cleaning. Her hair was back in a pony tail. She wore yellow rubber gloves, smelled of disinfectant and was carrying a big garbage bag.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded. She scanned Brennan up and down making an assessment quickly - easy to do because she wasn't looking for anything to admire. "I would say you are one of Booth's girls but he likes blondes."

"I am Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution," Brennan explained. "Booth and I are partners."

"WOW ... Booth went for a doctor? Well you can't be very good - Booth likes them dumb."

"Booth and I are not sexual partners, we work together. And I am quite intelligent." Brennan already didn't like this woman, but that was not unusual for Brennan. She didn't like most people on first meeting - it would be more accurate to say that she typically didn't form an opinion on first meeting - but for Rebecca's sister she would make an exception. "And if your opinion that Booth seeks unintelligent women, would that not put your sister in that category?"

Sherry dropped the bag she was holding on the ground between them. "What do you want Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution? Your PARTNER is not here." A light of recognition went on in her eyes. "Oh wait a minute, I know you. You are the one that writes those graphic novels about murder."

"I don't believe that is correct. I do write and my books do involve murder but I believe that graphic novels are akin to comic books. I assure you that my writing does not include pictures."

"Thank the Lord for that." Sherry bristled. "I found several of your books in Rebecca's collection. I threw them out." She kicked the bag. "You can dig them out if you want."

"I understand that you are under a great deal of stress and are suffering greatly at the loss of your sister for which I am very sorry. I didn't know Rebecca well, but from what I did, I liked. I assume that you are bitter and angry at the world, but I do not understand why you feel the need to direct your anger toward me, a person you have never met." Sherry was about to speak but Brennan cut her off. "Further your vitriol toward Booth is ill advised if you wish to continue a relationship with your nephew."

"So you two are more than just colleagues." She folded her arms across her chest. "As for my nephew - you can tell Booth for me that I **will** take this to court and I have more money and better lawyers and I will win."

Brennan studied her for a moment in that way she does. Sherry became very uncomfortable under her gaze. When Brennan spoke her voice was even and calm. "Why is it you feel that you deserve to have custody of Parker? How much time have you actually spent with him? Do you know him at all?" When Parker was at the lab earlier that day, he said talked a little about his Aunt Sherry. From what Brennan could tell and using Parker's actual words, she gathered that Parker liked Sherry well enough, but he didn't really know her. "Do you know his favorite baseball team? What he likes to do with his friends? What books he reads? What his hobbies are? What his goals are?"

"How is that important in protecting him and giving him a safe and stable home?"

"Do you know what medications he is allergic to? Foods? Insects? Do you know anything about his medical history at all?" Sherry didn't respond. "I believe those are all very important in giving Parker a safe home environment. Booth is intimately aware of all these things and more. Further Booth has a relationship with his son and has since he was born. You will not interfere."

"Are you threatening me, Dr. Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution?"

"Merely stating facts as they exist," she said calmly. "If you believe you deserve and will win the custody of Parker because you have money and lawyers, let me assure you that I have more money than you do and I will make it available to Booth and Parker to hire whatever they need to stop this ridiculous, petty and spiteful mission you are on. Parker belongs with Booth and Booth with Parker."

Sherry was taken aback. She had never experienced anyone like Brennan before. There was no anger in her voice. No intimidation. She really was just stating facts as a stone cold scientist might. But Sherry was not confused. Brennan would do what she said she was going to do.

"I suggest that you find some grief counseling," Brennan went on. "I am not in typically an advocate for psychology or psychiatrists in general but I have come to believe that in times of crisis they can be very helpful for those of weak minds." She thrust Parker's bag at Sherry who had no choice but to take it. "Please see that Parker gets this."

Brennan turned on her heel and walked away. Her heart rate didn't rise until she was in her car and driving away. It was wrong to offer money to Booth without actually offering it to him first. Normally he would be too proud to accept it, but in this case he would have to and she knew that would cause a rift between them. She tried to calm herself into believing that it was a good thing, a generous gift. But how could Booth possibly accept that without feeling indebted to her. She didn't want him indebted. It would also be an issue with Hannah. It was a very generous offer, but she wondered if she was wrong to make it.

It never occurred to Brennan that the threat might be enough to get Sherry to back off. Brennan didn't play or understand poker. She was not bluffing; she didn't know how.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth had decided that is would be OK for Parker to see Rebecca before she was moved to the funeral home. Booth didn't think that a sterile morgue was a proper setting, but Brennan reminded him that Parker has seen morgues on TV and had been to the lab on many occasions. The coroner would be respectful. They do family identifications all the time. Booth agreed only after he questioned the coroner about the state of the body and the appropriateness for an eleven year old. The corner told Booth that he brought his kids to the morgue when they were seven and eight. Booth called him ghoul, but set up a time for Parker to see her. Sherry, of course, would have lost her mind if Booth considered consulting her.

Parker took it better than Booth. Rebecca was on the other side of the glass behind a set of blinds. Booth stood with his hand on his son's shoulder. The blinds were lifted. She was laying on a gurney covered with a white sheet. The attendant lifted the sheet and put it back over her chest so her face could be seen.

"She looks like she is sleeping," Parker said.

Booth sucked in a huge breath to stop himself from audibly gasping. Booth knew bodies better than Parker did; there was no mistaking that she was dead. Her skin was the color of death, her lips were blue. He could see the tracheotomy marks where the doctors had tried to save her. From his height he could see that they had shaved the other side of her head to perform the craniotomy to relieve the pressure. He was grateful that that side was not to the window. His hand inadvertently squeezed Parker's shoulder.

In that moment he remembered Rebecca in life. He remembered their meeting, their courtship, how alive and happy she was. He remembered them waiting to find out if she was pregnant. He remembered wanting to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her. He remembered their bitter fights over Parker and he remembered them working it out - sometimes verbally, sometimes non-verbally (aka horizontally). He couldn't stop the hot tears from welling up in his eyes. She wasn't supposed to die. She shouldn't be gone forever. It was wrong, very, very, very wrong.

"Dad?" Parker slipped his hand into this father's. "Dad we can go."

Booth nodded to the attendant to cover her back up. He did and then slowly closed the blinds. Booth knelt down to be on the same level with Parker. Parker hadn't been crying until Booth pulled him tightly against his chest. That's when the tears came. The poor kid was trying to be strong for his father. Poor Booth was trying to be strong for his son. A show of strength at that time was just prideful. They needed to feel the loss and grieve together. Each had lost so much in life. It was important that they hang on to each other.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan was back at the lab burying herself in work. Booth had called twice but she let the call go to voice mail. It was late, close to ten when Hannah walked into her office.

"I need your help," Hannah said dropping her bag and pulling off her jacket. She clearly had just arrived from the airport. How and why Hannah thought that Brennan was her friend first and not Booth's would always be a mystery. She treated Brennan as if she were Booth's sister but her friend. She believed that sisterhood would triumph. Silly rabbit.

"Help with what?" Brennan said warily.

"Booth thinks that it's his duty to take Parker in."

"I don't believe that Booth looks at it as a duty."

"You agree with him?" Hannah was shocked.

"It's not my place to agree or disagree, but in this society it is expected that the biological parents would be the primary care givers until the offspring have reached the age of maturity sometimes beyond that date."

"This is not some tribe in the Amazon that you are studying, Temperance. This is Booth. I thought he was your friend, your partner. I assumed you would want to help him make the right decision."

"I don't believe that there is a decision to make. In the absence of choice, there is little to decide."

"You believe that assuming custody of Parker is the only option."

"Semantically, in the absence of choice there are no options."

Hannah ran her hands through her hair. "This will change his whole life. My life. Our lives. His career. I assume you will be affected by this as well."

"All those statements are true to varying degrees."

"And you are prepared for those changes."

"I am adaptable." Brennan studied her for a moment. "Are you?"

"This is not about me. Is Seeley?"

Brennan always bristled when Hannah called Booth _**Seeley**_. It felt wrong. He didn't like to be called Seeley, why would he allow her to call him that? Or maybe he did like it. Maybe it was a name he reserved for the most intimate people in his life. Did he not want Brennan to call him that because she was never that close? "I believe Booth is ready to make the changes necessary." Brennan's voice was cold and distant.

A realization came over Hannah. Did those _changes_ include her? Was Booth considering Hannah at all? He never asked her to come to Washington, not really. It was her idea. Booth had gone home for his son. A shock of lightening hit Hannah; she was not and would never be first in his life. She was second again - second if she was lucky. Booth had been acting differently toward her for weeks, since before Christmas. Maybe she had missed something else. When she fell in love with Booth she honestly felt that he would be the one person who would always and forever put her first. It was delusional thinking. He had left her in Afghanistan with a promise to write. That was not prioritizing.

"I did not come here to be a step-mother," she asserted. "I did not give up my career and move to this narcissistic, power hungry town to be running shuttles to soccer practice and attending PTA meetings."

"I believe that this is a discussion you should have with Booth."

"Seeley and I are not married," she protested. "I did not vow for better or worse."

"I'm sorry that you see Parker as a worse scenario, but as I said this is a discussion for you and Booth."

"And you won't help me?"

"Help you?" Brennan stood up. "Help you to separate a father form his son?"

"For his own good," Hannah protested.

"There is only one reason to take a child away from his biological parent - and that is not the case here." She exhaled and tried to steady her voice. "Booth does not have a choice, but you do. You can accept the man you fell in love with as a complete person or not, but I warn you, if you lose Booth over this, you will never find his equal and you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Hannah studied her for a moment. "Spoken like a woman who knows."

Brennan looked down.

"How close are you and Seeley? Why do you have a key to his apartment? Why do you support him at all costs? Why does he treat you like you are the yardstick that all other women don't measure up to?"

"We are done talking now Hannah. I believe that anything else you want to know, you need to discuss with Booth."

Hannah threw her coat over her arm, and picked up her bags. "Tell me one thing; were you ever really my friend?"

"I was and I am. But if you force me to chose between my friendship with you and my relationship with Booth, I am with Booth - all the way. Don't doubt it for a second."

Hannah studied her for a long moment. She wondered how she had missed what was right in front of her for so long. And she called herself a reporter. Hannah turned and it a blonde POOF she was gone.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: Say BA'BYE Hannah**. **GO BO-NES! Go BO-NES! Poor Parker and Booth. Good? Looking Up? Next up - Booth and Hannah have a talk. And Booth and Brennan need a heart to heart too.


	8. Chapter 8

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 8

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Angela walked into to Brennan's office. "Was that Reporter Barbie I just saw walking out like her dream house was on fire? Or maybe on her way to meet Cameraman Ken for a quickie before heading home to domestic bliss with Booth."

"I don't understand what you mean," Brennan said not really listening.

"That blonde hairdo that Booth calls a girlfriend, was that her?"

"If you mean Hannah, then yes she was here."

"Like I said ... Hairdo."

Brennan shook her head; she didn't get the reference.

"You know ... she is IN STYLE for the moment. Today's news; tomorrow's garbage."

"I have reason to I believe that Booth is truly in love and quite serious about her."

"Phfft," Angela dismissed. "He may say that ... but Booth has never known his own mind in the love department." She slumped down into Brennan's guest chair rubbing her ever expanding abdomen. "He's just biding his time - waiting for you."

"I don't believe that is the case," Brennan said without meeting Angela's eye.

"Regardless, Hannah is not THE ONE - trust me."

"I thought you liked Hannah?"

"I do like Hannah. If I had met her under any other circumstances we would have been friends. As Booth's love interest - not so much."

"Do you imagine you are being loyal to me?"

"Sweetie, I gave up on you and Booth a year ago when you two went your separate ways."

Brennan looked down at the paper work on her desk.

"Ah, but you didn't, did you, sweetie?" Angela sat forward in the chair conspiratorially. "Tell me. Come on."

"There is nothing to tell."

"Sure there is. Come on, sweetie, this is the kind of thing you should tell your best friend."

Brennan thought for a moment and decided that it might lighten her burden if she shared a little with Angela. "Several weeks ago when we were working the case of that prominent surgeon who had gone missing and we found her buried under a tree."

"I remember, go on."

"Well - you know that I was having a difficult time with that case."

"Not to sound like Sweets, but you were way over identifying with that doctor."

"I came to a realization - that ... that ... this is hard to say ... that I wanted more from life. That I wanted more from Booth and that I had missed my chance."

Angela was smiling up until that last comment. "Missed your chance? What chance? You mean back when you worked your first case together?"

"No. Last year Booth suggested that we ... that he and I ... that we should enter into a sexual relationship."

"That's not what he said."

"I don't remember the exact words." Of course she remembered the exact words. She remembered the whole scene verbatim. "It was after we left Sweets' office discussing his book where he concluded that Booth and I were in love."

Angela gasped. She couldn't believe that Sweets would make such an assertion to them, much less put it down in writing.

"We flatly denied it in his office, but apparently it was not true for Booth."

"Just Booth?"

"At the time, yes, but six weeks ago I realized that I had made a mistake."

"And you told Booth?"

Brennan nodded and then shook her head to indicate that the feelings were not returned.

"Reporter Barbie was in your way."

"Booth said that he was in love with her. That she was not a consolation prize."

Angela laughed. "Of course she is ... Don't believe him, Sweetie. There is no way he can go from being in love with someone like you - for years - to being in love with Malibu Blondie in a few months."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because ... because ... How do I say this? ... She is without. She is all for herself. Sure, Booth is this big strong handsome guy who saved her life. What's not to love? Love enough to move across the world for? But she is not in it for the long haul. She is just riding the Booth wave until she can break off an catch another one."

"People change."

"People do - she hasn't. She will not step up and be Parker's step mother. Hell, has she even been around to support Booth through this thing? If I were a betting woman, I would bet that she would try to convince Booth to send Parker to military school in a galaxy far, far away. And depending upon how deep she sank her hooks into Booth's Johnson, she might actually convince him that it would be a good idea."

"Well, on that part you are correct - not the part about the Johnson, I don't know what that means. But she doesn't feel that Booth is prepared to be a fulltime father."

"You see?" Angela said with great pride. "It's not Booth that's not prepared, it's the Blonde Bimbo."

"If you are right, this will hurt Booth a great deal."

"He'll handle it. It's about time he saw just how fair weather his girlfriend is."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It was close to eleven. Booth was finally able to sit down and reflect on the events of the day. Before he left the house that morning, Sherry was constantly at him about any number of things. He ignored her as much as possible, but when she said something in front of Parker, he shut her down with no uncertain terms. She seemed to back off a bit, but started ramping up again. That's when Booth decided to get Parker out of the house.

When he returned that evening, Sherry seemed somewhat subdued. She was still shooting daggers at him with her eyes, and made a comment about getting a visit from his pit bull that he didn't pursue. The only thing she barked at was when she discovered that Rebecca's body had not been moved to the funeral home because Booth took Parker to the morgue to see her. It was good that Parker was in the shower at that time. Booth gave her 'what for' again and ushered her out of the house. Sherry may have expected to stay there, but that was just not going to happen.

Booth again reflected on his time with Rebecca and what a hole she would leave in his life. His heart broke for her loss: so tragic, so senseless, a stupid accident. He still felt the loss of his own mother. His heart broke for Parker too. It was now up to Booth and Booth alone to ensure that Parker had the childhood he deserved. It was Booth's responsibility to ensure that Parker was surrounded with people who loved him, would support him, would help him to be a better person and to survive this tragedy as best he could.

His mind drifted to Brennan. She truly was an amazing woman and the truest friend he had ever known. She was selfless and kind. For all her social awkwardness (which he used to find endearing), she was right there for him providing what he needed, what Parker needed without a thought for herself. One source of pride for Booth was that he had maintained friendships with all the women in his life, but that was not true. Yes, he would be there for anyone of them if they had called in crisis, but he never called to check in. He didn't send Christmas cards. He ran into Tessa about a month before he went to Afghanistan and it was as if they were strangers. Booth was a bad friend. He knew one way to interact with a woman and if that were off the table (so to speak), then there was nothing left to interact about. That's what was so amazing about his relationship with Brennan. It wasn't about sex - at least it hadn't been. During his alone time in Afghanistan with the absolute silence he was getting from Brennan, he concluded that he didn't really love her - at least not like a lover. It was that damned coma dream that got him to want a marriage and a future that was more than just business.

He was working under that assumption when he met Hannah - the assumption that he wasn't in love with Brennan. Hannah was so similar yet entirely different. She was smart, independent and courageous - just like Brennan. Well similar to Brennan. Brennan wasn't careless, impulsive, or reckless. Yes, Booth had saved Hannah's life, but she never should have allowed herself to get into that situation. Brennan never would have. The best part about Hannah was that she was so easy to be with. Booth didn't have to worry about his place with her. As Gordon Gordon Wyatt would say, Booth never had to concern himself with where to stand with her. At first Booth assumed it was just a wartime affair. When he decided it was time for him to go home, he never expected her to follow him. If he were totally honest, he expected that they would keep in touch via email, a few letters. There would be some hook ups in odd cities for a while and eventually they would just fade away. There would be no big break up scene. It would just be a fond memory that he would take with him to the grave.

When he arrived back in the states and saw Brennan, he was angry; angry at her. He was freshly reminded of her seven month slight - not one email, phone call, letter, text, message in a bottle - NOT ONE WORD (of course he didn't send a word to her either, but that was beside the point). He clung to his memories of Hannah and their scorching emails to maintain his dignity and to put a wedge between him and Brennan. It pissed him off more to see that Brennan was still Brennan - nothing was different for her. He was bound and determined to make her see that things had changed. There were consequences to actions. She broke up the partnership and left without looking back for seven months - would probably have been all twelve if they weren't called back early. And then she showed up like they parted the day before and were just supposed to carry on. Booth wouldn't have it. He treated her like crap. Hannah's appearance was just want he needed. He shoved Hannah and his BLISS in her face at every turn. The more she didn't react the angrier he got. Her idiosyncrasies were no longer endearing, they were annoying and Booth was nothing short of intolerant. Then Brennan did something he couldn't believe possible, she befriended his girlfriend (not quite the triumph Booth was looking for) - until she broke down. All he really wanted to do that night in the rain was to take her in his arms and tell her that it would be OK, but instead he reinforced the line that he had drawn between them. Again he shoved his new found "happiness" in her face. A day late and a dollar short, sweetheart. You snooze, you lose, baby cakes. I'm happy and you are not, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. "_**Can I call someone for your?**_" What an ass. He was just a jerk. That was unforgivably cold. But Brennan bore it like she bore everything. And she was still his friend - the best, most selfless friend he had ever had. She would still do more than was required, without being asked regardless of the cost to her. How could he have been so petty, so foolish, so selfish? How could he have been so wrong? How could he have given up so easily? Jerk.

His realization about the real nature of his relationship with Hannah had been coming for a while, since before Brennan's revelation. Hannah was not happy in Washington. She had made a pretty good effort trying to get acclimated to the scene there, but it was not her style. It didn't escape Booth's notice that every time he tried to broach a serious subject, one about a future between them they somehow got sidetracked into bed. Not all of that could be blamed on Hannah. Some of it was Booth realizing that he was not getting the answers he was looking for, so distraction was better than agreeing to disagree. But these were topics that were more important than the brand of toothpaste, or whether to sleep with the window open or closed. The writing was on the wall for Booth and Hannah. They probably would have been over a month or more ago if it hadn't been for Brennan. There was no way Booth could tell Brennan that Hannah was a mistake and save any shred of his ego particularly after his vehement assertion that Hannah was no consolation prize. That had been his mantra since the day he slept with Hannah - actually it was from the day he first told Hannah he loved her (pretty close to the same day). Saying it doesn't make it so.

Hannah called at half past eleven. Said they needed to talk. She asked if he could come to the apartment. He told her that he couldn't and suggested that she come to the house. It probably wasn't the kind of conversation they should have with Parker asleep in the house, but she agreed.

Close to midnight Hannah pulled up and parked on the street even though there was plenty of space in the driveway. Booth noticed and knew that Sweets would have a field day with that if he were ever to find out. Booth went out to meet her. There was a stiff hug and an obligatory kiss. Hannah leaned against the car. Sweets would find that interesting too as it put her in a much lower position than Booth. She was giving him the power, it was his to take.

"You didn't sign on for this," he started. "I get it."

She looked down. He went straight for the kill. That was Booth; a sniper shot through the heart - one bullet, one kill. "I didn't."

"I understand."

She looked up at him. "I don't."

"When you have a child of your own, you will."

"I understand duty and responsibility," she said but she really didn't. Where would she have learned that? Certainly not from her parents who gave up nothing for her. "But this is above and beyond."

Booth shook his head. This was not a topic that they would be able to sidestep with sex. "No, no it's not. Parker is first in my life, he always has been. I would give up everything I have, everything I am for him. I am nothing without him."

"In Afghanistan -."

"I spoke to him every day. I left when things were getting hard for him at home. I came home for him. You knew that."

"I just think it's an awful lot to give up."

"I don't see it as giving up anything - I see it as gaining everything. I missed being his father on a daily basis for the first eleven years, I won't miss another moment."

"If Rebecca had lived -."

"She didn't - but even if she had - Parker was still first in my life. I thought you knew that."

"Is that why you didn't introduce me to him for months?"

Booth felt caught.

"You claimed to love me. You told me to move into your apartment. But you didn't introduce me to your son for months. Did you think we wouldn't last?"

"Apparently I was right," he snapped defensively. "The first time things get real, the first time you need to put someone else first, you run the other way."

"I put you first when I quit my career and moved to Washington."

"You may not see this yet, but your position in the Washington Press Corps will enhance your career more than any little dirt you dug up in Afghanistan."

"I am a field reporter, Seeley."

"Then why did you come here?"

"I told you."

"You were tired of sleeping alone?" he threw back at her. He spread his arms wide. "This is me, Hannah - father, cop, lover. You have to take it all, or nothing."

She pushed herself off the car and stood up straight. "Then I have to go with nothing."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Yeah, me too." She turned to get back in the car. "Parker is a lucky kid."

Booth was going to correct her and say that he was the lucky one, but thought twice.

"I'll be out of the apartment tomorrow."

"No hurry. I'm here for the duration."

"I'm going to accept an assignment in Central America. Really big story. American funding of drug trafficking."

Booth frowned. "Be careful."

She smiled broadly. "You know me."

He did know her. He had rescued her the day they met because she got in over her head. "Yeah, I do."

"Take care, Seeley. I'll see you in the funny papers."

"Yeah."

She was just about to get in when she stopped. "It doesn't really matter anymore, but just so I know. You and Temperance - you are more than just partners aren't you?"

He didn't quite know how to respond. He shook his head slightly which probably indicated a no to her.

"No, I think you are. She is fiercely loyal and totally dedicated to you. She's in love with you, isn't she?"

"I won't speak for her."

"Then speak for yourself. You love her - are in love with her; have been since before you and I met and have never stopped."

Booth glanced away which was enough for Hannah to take as a yes.

"Then what the hell were you doing with me?" She laughed. "Proving some damn point? Men," she declared. "Such jerks. Have a good life Seeley. You're a good man and you deserve to have everything you want."

"So do you."

"Yes, I do." She smiled brightly but the tears were only moments away. She sunk into the car and without a look back was gone in a flash.

Booth looked after her. He thought he would have felt a deep loss - deeper and more painful than when he left Bones at the airport. It wasn't there. There was nothing. In fact, if he had to put a name on what he was feeling it would be relief. He checked his watch. It was after midnight. He wondered if Brennan was still up. He really needed to talk to her.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan checked the clock on her computer. It was after midnight. She should be home asleep or at least home working. She had been corresponding with Ian O'Dwyer, the archeologist from Ireland, most of the night. They had moved up her date for the visit to the following week. It was actually in four days. They had found another Bog Body and Brennan wanted to be in on the analysis.

Bog bodies are a fascinating phenomenon. They are naturally preserved human remains found in the sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe and are hundreds or thousands of years old - or can be. That is the most interesting thing about them. A body could be ancient or just decades old - it was near impossible to tell. Bog bodies retain their skin and internal organs due to the unusual conditions of the bog including highly acidic water, low temperatures and lack of oxygen. The soft tissue is preserved (tanned, but preserved) but typically the bones are not as the acid in the peat dissolves the calcium phosphate of the bone.

O'Dwyer was the leading expert in Ireland of the phenomenon. He found it interesting that Dr. Brennan, who was an expert on bones, would be so interested in bog bodies that had no bones. It was just an idea she was working out for a book - how would the bone lady solve a murder with no bones?

Brennan still didn't know much about O'Dwyer other than professionally, but she didn't want to look him up. It felt intrusive and presumptuous. They were colleagues, to think about anything more at this stage was ludicrous. But she liked how he wrote. He had an interesting way of turning a phase. His emails were very conversational, not like a professor of archeology would typically write.

"Dr Brennan?"

Brennan looked up to her doorway. Joe, the new security guard, was standing there with a young woman by his side. She looked nervous.

"Dr. Brennan, this woman says she needs to speak with you urgently."

Brennan nodded and Joe left the woman with Brennan but didn't go far.

"How may I help you?" Brennan said. "It's very late."

"Yes, ma'am," she was able to squeak out. "I'm sorry to bother you - well actually I'm not sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't see this before." She thrust a set of X-rays at Brennan.

Brennan took them slowly and moved over to a light board in her office. She slapped one of the X-rays on to the board. It was the skull of a woman who has suffered trauma to her parietal bone consistent with a blow to the head with a blunt object. It also showed a craniotomy hole near the trauma. There was no name on the X-ray. Brennan looked back at the young woman.

"I took that X-ray earlier this evening. It's of Rebecca Stinton."

Brennan was surprised and very interested.

"The pathology report said that she died from an epidural hematoma from a fall down stairs. As you will see form the rest of the X-rays, Rebecca Stinton did not fall down stairs. Her injuries are defensive in nature and not fighting off gravity."

"Who are you?"

"I am Lacey Carroll. I work in the coroner's office. I am studying to be a forensic anthropologist ... like you."

"How did you know to bring this to me?"

"I know a lot about you Dr. Brennan," she said proudly if a little creepily. "I also know that Agent Booth is your partner and that he came by the morgue today to see Ms. Stinton's body. I was not convinced about the cause of death before, but took a closer look when I found out that she was connected to you."

Brennan put the rest of the X-rays up on the board and studied them. "What are you suggesting, Ms. Carroll?"

"I'm suggesting that Ms. Stinton was murdered."

Brennan's phone rang. It was on her desk. Brennan could see the caller ID and picture. It was Booth.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: I am truly inspired by the response this story is getting (hence my rapid updates - sorry about the typos etc. I'm sure there are a lot more than usual). The hit counter is still down on so I can't really tell how many are reading, but I know there are a lot of you out there from the comments, the favorites and alerts. I was thinking about wrapping this story up quickly, but that last bit came to me by surprise. I'm sure I will have exhausted this story by next week when the show is back on. Until then, enjoy and keep those cards and letters coming. :-)

A couple of other notes here: I stole "Reporter Barbie" from ScotFree who claims to have heard it from someone else but doesn't remember who. Doesn't matter - very funny. A literal LOL for me.

Secondly Bog Bodies are a real phenomenon. I had never heard of them before I read _**Haunted Ground**_ by Erin Hart. I looked it up on Wikipedia (always trust everything I read on Wikipedia) and it is real. I heartily recommend Erin Hart's books: _**Haunted Ground**_, _**Lake of Sorrows**_ and _**False Mermaid**_. I devoured _**Haunted Ground**_ in a week. I'm almost done with _**Lake of Sorrows**_ but haven't had time to finish because I am working on IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE (need to finish both). And I have _**False Mermaid**_ on order for the release of the paper back in March. Her main characters are Nora Gavin and Cormac McGuire; two anthropologists who get involved with current and ancient murders. They are not Booth and Brennan - but the books are GREAT! Please check them out.


	9. Chapter 9

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 9

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Bones let Booth's call go to voice-mail. She needed a bit more information from Ms. Carroll. When she had gotten all that she could (which wasn't much), she suggested that Lacey wait in the lounge because Brennan was going to call Booth. Lacey didn't seem to like the idea of bringing in the FBI, but Brennan assured her that Booth would have to be informed. She even challenged Lacey with knowing that before she brought this information to her.

She dialed Booth's cell. "Booth?"

"Bones? Did I wake you? I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

"No, Booth, I was not asleep. I'm at the lab. Something has come up." She hesitated not knowing exactly how to tell him what she was unsure of herself.

"At the lab? At this hour?"

"I often work this late." He apparently didn't know how often over the past five months. "It's only midnight. Something has just been brought to my attention."

"Well, I'm glad you're up." He paused unsure of his goal and not really listening to her. "I wanted to talk to you. ... There is something I wanted to say ... I wanted you to know ... I hoped we could talk in person."

"Booth, it's about Rebecca," she blurted out.

"What?" He was confused. He didn't want to talk about Rebecca. Why would she think that?

"Someone brought me some information tonight that could possibly affect the events surrounding how Rebecca suffered the skull trauma." She hated being so imprecise but at the mention of Rebecca, Booth tensed up and she imagined how this kind of new would affect him.

"Who? Brought what to you? What's going on?"

"Her name is Lacey Carroll. She claims to work in the coroners' office."

"What do you mean _**she claims**_?"

"She self reported it to me, I have no way of verifying if she is telling the truth." Brennan looked toward the lounge to see a very nervous Lacey drinking coffee with Joe keeping an eye on her. "She is here with me right now."

"What are we talking about, Bones?"

"Murder," she stated.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Somewhere across town a shadowy figure stepped into a doorway and answered the call on a cell phone. "Yes ... yes ... it was ruled an accident." The voice was deep and male. "I have the coroner's report right here. ... It's very easy to bribe an underpaid, overworked city official, cheap too. ... No there is no possibly way it will link back to you. The body has been moved to the funeral home and will be cremated in the morning. Case closed. ... It was unfortunate. The Stinton woman wasn't supposed to die. ... Yes, he has been dealt with. ... The other situation is being handled." He ended the call.

He pulled a picture out of his pocket, the light from a street lamp illuminated it. The picture was taken at a distance. The subject was female, late twenties, thin with long red hair; like Lacey Carroll. She was sitting at a bistro table street side. Her companion was unmistakable: Rebecca Stinton.

Keeping his hood pulled low over his face and avoiding the cameras on the street and around the building, he lay down on the ground next to a maroon Prius parked in the lot of Kirkland Construction Corp. It looked like he was placing something in the wheel well of the left front tire. Scanning the area to be sure he wasn't observed; he slipped back into the shadows.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Murder?" Booth exclaimed.

"I can't be sure. I don't have all the evidence. I can't even ensure that the evidence I do have belongs to Rebecca."

"Bones, Bones, Bones ... Start at the beginning."

"Tonight -."

"When?"

"Less than ten minutes ago. Will you please let me tell you what I know; then you can ask your questions."

"Go on." He checked his frustration.

"Ten minutes ago a woman named Lacey Carroll came to me claiming to have evidence that proves that Rebecca's injuries were not due to a fall down the stairs. The evidence she gave me were a set of X-Rays. It's unclear if the X-rays are of Rebecca at this time but they were taken earlier tonight and the general size, shape and condition fit Rebecca's. Regardless of whose X-Rays they are, the injuries are not consistent with a fall down a flight of stairs. The injury on the skull is consistent with blunt force trauma that could be from the head slamming against something hard, but the other bone indicators suggest defensive."

"Who would want to kill Rebecca?"

"I don't do the why Booth, that is your department. I only do the how."

"I know, I know. This is too unbelievable."

"Agreed. I would like to have the body - Rebecca's body transferred to the Jeffersonian tonight. Cam and I will do an examination."

"Cam knows about this?"

"Not yet. I will have to call her in. But in case I'm wrong, in case this Lacey Carroll person is lying or is mistaken somehow, I don't want anyone else involved."

"Bones, she is scheduled to be cremated in the morning. Her body is already at the funeral home."

"Ms Carroll switched the bodies at the lab. Rebecca is now listed as Jane Doe #896."

Booth shivered at the thought that Rebecca was listed as a Jan Doe. "I'll call right now and get the body transferred. Can you keep this Lacey person there?"

"I don't think she has any intention of going anywhere."

"Why do you say that?"

"She is acting squirrelly."

Booth almost laughed. "Where did you hear that expression? Proper use of it though."

"I have been watching procedural television. The science is always wrong – often comically so - but some of the detectives are a lot like you and also have a very colorful vocabulary."

"I'll run a background on her as well. I'll be there in thirty."

"Booth, you can't come here."

"Why not?"

"First of all, Parker. Second of all you are on leave right now. And finally, you shouldn't be working Rebecca's case. You're too close and are dealing with your own grief."

"Don't try to keep me out of this, Bones. I owe it to Rebecca. I owe it to Parker. If she was murdered, I will find the person responsible."

"There is no doubt that we will find the person responsible, but your first priority has to be Parker."

"You're right. I know you're right. I'm just no good sitting on my hands."

"Let us do the examination first and then you can decide what needs to happen next. This could all be nothing. It could be a horrible misunderstanding."

"How did this Carroll person find you?"

"Says she is studying to be a forensic anthropologist and has followed my career."

"She's a fan? She's an uber-fan? She's probably a nut case, Bones."

"That is entirely possible, but we can't assume that. She knows you too. Said she saw you at the morgue today and connected Rebecca to you to me."

"Squirrely is right. Keep her there. I don't care if you have to hog tie her. She goes nowhere."

"Make the calls, Booth." She dismissed his concern. "Let me take care of Lacey Carroll and the evidence."

"Thanks Bones." He softened. That's what he wanted to say from the beginning. It wasn't nearly enough but it was from the heart. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"This is Special Agent Seeley Booth, badge number 22705. You have a Jane Doe 896. I need those remains transferred to the Jeffersonian institution immediately. ... Yes part of a federal investigation. ... Immediately means right now. ... Your name? ... Your superior? Let me speak with her. ... Well get her on the phone ... wake her up ... Good. I'll expect that body there in less than an hour."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Dr. Saroyan, this is Dr. Brennan. ... You don't sound like you were sleeping ... Have you been exercising? ... Is there someone there with you? … Did I interrupt you during intercourse? ... I need you to come to the lab, tonight. ... Yes, right now. ... I'm having Rebecca Stinton's body transferred here. Some evidence may have come to light that proves that Rebecca was murdered. ... Thank You. ... I'll see you here shortly."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Hey Jake, Booth here. I need you to run a background on Lacey Carroll. ... Nope that is all I have she may or may not work in the coroner's office in Arlington. ... Right, right ... you're the best that's why. ... Hey, also need you to run the law firm of Drake and White. They are environmental lawyers out of Arlington. Just see if you can find out what they have been working on. ... I don't know ... permits they have submitted ... anything. ... No, I need it now. ... Yes, as in NOW. ... Carroll first, call me with that as soon as you get anything. ... Hey, one more thing. Pull the cell phone records for 703-555-8527 ... yes, Stinton, Rebecca Stinton. ... Yes. ... Yes. ... Don't use that expression. Show a little respect, huh? ... Yeah, get those to me first. ... Cell phone first, Carroll second. And Jake, keep this on the down low OK? ... Hey if you could follow the rules, you wouldn't be working the swing shift. ... I know ... I know ... I KNOW ... Look, I'll put a good word in for you at your next review. … Yes, Yes, a bottle of Tequila too. ... Thanks Buddy. You're the best."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Saroyan ... S.A.R.O.Y.A.N. ... Camille. I need the tox screen results immediately. ... I know it takes time, have it take the least amount of time possible. ... Yes, I know it's the middle of the night. I own a watch ... and I'm losing sleep too ... You're wasting time ... Yes ... immediately. ... Thank you."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Brent, Booth here, I assume I didn't wake you. ... Yeah, it's been pretty rough. ... Sherry is a piece of work. Hard to believe that she and Rebecca share any DNA, huh? ... Parker's holding up. He's a kid, ya know. ... Resilient, exactly. ... Hey, I have a couple of questions. What can you tell me about what Rebecca was working on? ... Was it anything big? … Yes, I know that Drake and White are the biggest environmental lawyers on the eastern seaboard. What else can you tell me? ... Who? ... Kirkland Construction Corp ... They're building the new offices for Home Land Security, right? ... Oh yeah, I read about that ... the bridge … I thought that was bogged down in a senate committee…. Right. ... Why? Well ... I ah ... I came across some paperwork Rebecca was working on and it didn't make sense to me. ... It's probably nothing. ... Don't worry about it. ... Hey listen, I wouldn't ask this, but since you're up, do you think you could come by and stay with Parker. ... He's a sleep now, but he might get up in the middle of the night and need someone to talk to. ... Yeah, we all do. ... I'll be back before morning. … Thanks, man. See you shortly."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Booth, it's Brennan."

"What have you got?"

"Jane Doe #896 is indeed Rebecca." She said sadly. "I have compared the X-rays from the -."

"Cut to the chase ... was Rebecca murdered?"

"I can only tell you that her injuries are not consistent with a fall down the stairs."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"I can tell you that she was struggling with someone shortly before she died – I would say twelve to eighteen hours. Her wrists show signs of restraint by what appear to be hands. There is bruising on the back to indicate a boot or other heavy soled shoe. She was probably pushed into something … a wall or vehicle. Something hard."

Booth was silent imagining Rebecca fighting … fighting for her life as it turned out.

"This is all very cursory. I'm not done with my examination. Cam has taken samples and sent them to the lab. The tox screen should be back shortly. We have done as much as we can without getting more invasive. We would need to open a case if we want to do a full blown autopsy and I don't believe the FBI has jurisdiction."

Booth was still silent.

"I can tell you this. She put up a fight."

"She would."

"Are you OK?" Brennan finally asked.

"She called me," he said sadly full of guilt. "She called me Sunday night ... a day before _**the accident**_. She was upset. Asked me to call her back. I missed the call on Sunday ... I was ... I was ... you know ... I was busy."

Booth flashed on the memory when the call came in. He and Hannah had just gotten out of the shower. She grabbed the phone playfully when it rang. She giggled showing him it was Rebecca. Then she held it away and told him to make a choice. Booth pulled Hannah too him and kissed her hard. He tossed the phone into the living room and he and Hannah went back to the adult fun they were having. To be fair, he assumed Rebecca was calling to read him the riot act for allowing Parker to eat all that junk at the park. He could hear that any time, but he would never hear it again.

"I tried to call her later ... you know, after ... but she didn't pick up. I was going to call her the next day, but we got that case and I just forgot."

"This is not your fault, Booth."

"Doesn't feel that way. Feels like I let her down. That she needed me about something important and I let her down." He sighed. "So important that she lied to the paramedics."

"Why would she lie about something like that?"

"She was scared, Bones."

"Do you know that, or are you just guessing."

"Making an educated guess from what you're telling me and the facts that I have." He paused. "You still have that Carroll woman there?"

"Yes, as I said she doesn't look like she is going anywhere. She looks scared."

"Well she should. Not only does she not work for the coroner, but she and Rebecca had been in contact for weeks before Rebecca died. She is an environmental impact analyst working with Kirkland Construction Corp. Rebecca is ... was an environmental lawyer. I'm on my way over to talk to her."

"Booth, what about Parker?"

"Brent is on his way here right now."

"But -."

"I'm doing this for him, Bones. And for Rebecca. And me. How can I look that boy in his eyes knowing that his mother was murdered and I wasn't there to prevent it and did nothing to help catch her killer?"

"You're being too hard on yourself, Booth. But I understand your need to do something. You know we will solve this."

"Too late for Rebecca."

"Sadly, yes. But her killer will be brought to justice."

"Thanks Bones." He paused. "I mean it. Thank you for everything." He started to tear up and his voice cracked. "I don't know what I would do if I lost yo-"

"You're welcome," she stopped him from saying any more. There were too many emotions flowing for him to say anything to her that she could trust. She could feel herself being drawn back to him in ways that she couldn't control. "I'll see you shortly."

They hung up and Booth realized that he never told her about Hannah. Well at least he had his priorities straight, finally.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: This chapter is dedicated to Alexander Graham Bell and the Bell Lab engineers, Douglas Ring (great name for a guy who worked for the phone company) and W. Rae Young, who proposed hexagonal cells for mobile phones back in 1947. We have come a long way baby.

Again your responses are very encouraging. Thank you all very much.


	10. Chapter 10

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 10

**A/N**: Lots of things for Booth to think about while he is working Rebecca's case coming up in this chapter. And good news, the hit counter is back up on FF(dot)net. But please, keep those reviews coming. Makes all this loss of sleep more worth it.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth walked into Brennan's office. She wasn't there. The platform was empty. The light in the pathology lab was off. There was no one around. For all intents and purposes, it was the middle of the night at the Jeffersonian and the guards were the only ones working.

"Can I help you?" Joe asked walking up to Booth with his hand on the gun at his hip.

Booth nearly drew on him. There was a time when Booth knew all the guards by first name, knew something about their home lives and often had bets to pay or collect on some recent sporting event. Booth wasn't supposed to be gambling, but he always let the other guy make the bet and he just accepted out of camaraderie (easier than explaining about a problem that was never really a problem; he never went to a GA meeting). It was never more than five bucks anyway; it could hardly be considered gambling. But the guy in front of Booth with his hand on his 9mm was a stranger - or was it Booth who was the stranger?

"HEY," Booth put up both hands defensively. "Booth, FBI. I'm looking for Bones … er .. um … Dr. Brennan."

"I need to see your ID." Joe noticed the gun under Booth's arm and pulled his. "SLOWLY. TWO FINGERS."

Booth pulled his ID out of his pocket and flipped it open.

Joe lowered his weapon. "Sorry Agent, but you can't be too careful."

"Right," Booth was annoyed. Who was going to break into the Jeffersonian in the middle of the night _guns a-blazing_? "Understand perfectly."

"There were some guys hanging around earlier. Had to shove 'em off."

"Very glad you were here. Any idea who they were? Or what they wanted?" Booth had no idea why he was engaging this guy. "What's your name?"

"Darrow, Joseph Darrow." He cocked his head slightly. "Joe. Dr. Brennan is expecting you. She's in the Bone room. I can take you down there."

"I know the way," Booth said.

Yes, he knew the way – or he used to. He used to be a regular at the lab and knew every nook and cranny. He'd waste hours there waiting for Bones to finish some test that he didn't understand, waiting for her to head out for dinner, coming to see her for any number of reasons many of which were not case related. Like a gentle caller waiting in the parlor for his lady love.

But he hadn't been to the lab in months – not since he left for Afghanistan. There was that one time with the Science Dude but that really didn't count. It wasn't a conscious thought; he wasn't avoiding the lab or any of the people there – at least he didn't think so. But ever since he had been back he felt really uncomfortable thinking about that place. It was where the human remains went to be dissected, studied, analyze in every minute detail. There were dead bodies, body bits and bones lain out clinically; like they were objects and not people anymore. The truth was – of course – the bodies, bits of bodies and bones weren't people anymore. They were the remains of people; what the people couldn't take with them. The evidence left behind to tell the tale of a life and death.

Booth had seen death in his life – people he knew, people he loved, people he had never met. He had taken lives and he had saved lives. Yes, Booth had experienced death in all its facets. It had been his stock and trade for nearly two decades. He had gone from being a killer to being a catcher of killers. Going back to Afghanistan threw his 'cosmic balance sheet' out of whack again. In fact it did more than that – it made him realize how good he was at taking a life. He hated that side of himself; he hated that he was good at it. Ostensibly He had gone back to train, to save lives, to help soldiers come home safely. But that was not quite what happened. This time he wasn't on a hill over a thousand yards away. This time he was standing within a yard or two. This time he could see their faces, look in their eyes, smell their fear mixed with his own. This time the killing, the death messed with his head in a way he couldn't accept. He couldn't reconcile the RIGHTEOUSNESS of it in his mind. That's why he came home. He said it was for Parker, but he really came home for himself, to save himself. He had to get away from that senseless killing; he couldn't be a part of it. He had to get away from the bodies and bits of bodies that where killed knowing that there would be no catching the killers.

But home was no better. He went right back to work trading in death; at least he was catching killers rather than adding to the body count. But the bodies still affected him. He went to crime scenes but stayed as far away as possible from the remains and that meant not going to the lab. The lab was death – analytical, sterile death. The lab was bones and Bones. The lab was her home, her space, her domain. He had to stay away the lab and her. There was no separating the two: Bones and Death. He didn't want to be there. He didn't belong there. He didn't belong with her. She didn't want him - until she did.

Booth snapped himself out of his thoughts. He couldn't allow himself to think that much; not like he did in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan he wallowed in it, nearly losing himself, until he met Hannah. She was life; she was full of life. She was alive. Hannah had pulled him out of the death and bodies back to life. Then she followed him home and did the same thing. She brought life to his existence. But now that she was gone, he couldn't wallow. He had to work. He had to find a killer. He had to find Rebecca's killer. And to do that, he needed to be at the lab. He needed Bones.

He walked into the bone room and stopped dead just beyond the threshold. There was a body on a gurney covered with a sheet. It had to be Rebecca. It had to be what Rebecca had left behind. He gasped audibly.

"Booth, what are you doing down here?" Brennan turned to check that Rebecca was covered. "Go up to my office, I'll meet you up there."

"I'm fine, Bones."

"Booth, you have no color in your face. You're exhausted. You're about to fall down. You shouldn't see her like this. Please, go up to my office. I will be right there."

He was about to argue, but she was right. He was about to fall down. He needed to sit down and a shot of scotch wouldn't hurt either. He wondered if she still kept a bottle in her office.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan came in a few minutes later. Booth had found the scotch and had poured himself a stiff one. Brennan frowned. Alcohol would not help.

"What else have you found out?" she asked opting not to scold him.

"Not much ... There is a big project that Rebecca was working on. The Bridge project, I am sure you have heard of it."

"I have ... but I don't understand."

"Government funded, lots of jobs, lots of money to get misappropriated. I saw it a lot in Afghanistan. The money would rarely get to where it was intended. Civilian contractors doing sub-standard work. Money makes people crazy. Where is your girl - Carroll, Lacey Carroll?"

"Cam took her down to get some food. They should be back in a minute."

Booth leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. "Food ... I don't think I have eaten since lunch."

"You didn't have much then either," she noted sitting down next to him. She put her hand on his. "Can I get you something ... something other than scotch?"

"No," he said pressing her hand. "Everything I eat has no flavor." He looked up at her. "Listen to me, complaining about bad food when you have been working for days ... working and taking care of me."

"I ate earlier."

"That's not what I mean."

"I haven't done much."

"You've done plenty - trust me - just knowing that you were there, are there." He pressed her hand again. "And now this thing with Rebecca ... I don't trust anyone buy you to tell me the truth of this."

"I'll do what I can." She got up and moved away from him. The way he was talking to her, looking at her, touching her - it was intensely intimate.

Booth felt her physical loss. He needed to engage her again. He noticed that her glass board was back and it looked like she was outlining a new book. He nodded to it. "Another Kathy Reichs novel?"

"No ... It was going to be but I have decided to create all new characters." She had made that decision only hours before. She tried to tell herself that it had nothing to do with her relationship or lack thereof with Booth, but that was not the truth. "It's set in Ireland," she said as if she were adding to the reasonableness of not writing another Kathy/Andy book.

"Clean slate, huh? That's got to be good - freeing."

"Yes, very much so. Can create new dynamics between new characters. I'm a more experienced writer now. I won't write myself into corners as much. I will create opportunities and make the most of them." She glanced away. His eyes were too intense. "This time it will be told in the third person. I'm done with the first person narrative."

"That will give you more control too. You can know what everyone is thinking."

"I hadn't thought about it that way, but you're correct." She looked down.

It finally dawned on Booth that whole new characters meant that Agent Andy Lister would not be in her book. In spite of her chronic protests, he knew he was the inspiration for Agent Andy. Brennan was writing him out of her fantasy life too. A wave of loss crashed over him again - how much can one man lose?

"I have a trip planned to Ireland to meet with an archeologist there. He has been helping me via email, but we thought we should meet." She didn't want to explain about Bog Bodies to Booth. It was unimportant. "I leave in four days."

"What?" Booth was taken off guard. "Four days?"

"I won't leave until we have solved this case with Rebecca," she assured him.

Booth wasn't assured. In fact he felt more alone. He stood up and moved toward the door. "I'm going to go find Cam and little Lacey Carroll. I have more than a few questions for her."

"I'll go with you."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

They found Cam and Lacey in the cafeteria drinking coffee. Cam looked wrung out. Booth who was prepared to go as hard on Lacey as he could get, softened when he saw how young and scared she was. Maybe she was caught up in all of this too. Maybe she was targeted too. But she had a strange way of getting that help and that was suspicious.

Cam rose when she saw them enter. She hugged Booth and told him how sorry she was. She pulled Brennan off to the side to give her the findings of the tox report.

"I am having them run it again. There were a lot of drugs in her system, most were from the hospital but there was something else that wasn't. She had an opiate in her system and that was not consistent with the treatment of a head injury. And the concentration seemed too high."

"What opiate are you talking about?"

"Morphine. I want to request her medical chart but as this is not a case and we have no jurisdiction, the next of kin will have to do that and that could take time."

Brennan nodded. This backroom investigation would have to become official before they could go any further. "Thank you, Dr. Saroyan."

"You'll tell, Booth?" Brennan nodded. "I'm going to lie down for a bit in the lounge. Call me if you need me and I will be here when we are ready to take the next step."

The next step would be a full autopsy and analysis of the last day of Rebecca's life. Booth would need to investigate everything else. It should really be turned over to another agent that was if they could show that Rebecca's death was murder and that it was within the federal jurisdiction.

Brennan joined Booth and Lacey; she stood behind him with her hand on his shoulder. It was comforting to both of them. Booth had done all the soft ball questions and a bit of warming up. Brennan liked to think of them as the control questions, Booth had always thought of them as the rapport questions so 'why lie.' Brennan never pointed out that they were saying the same thing.

"So Ms. Carroll," he said. "You lied to us and not very well. Do you want to tell me why?"

Lacey didn't look as caught as Booth thought she would have. In fact she looked relieved that he had found her out. "So you know."

"That you and Rebecca were in contact for at least two weeks before her death, yes I know. You knew I would find out."

Her eyes filled with water. "I'm sorry, Mr. Booth," she said. "Ms Stinton was a wonderful woman. She was helping me and it got her killed."

"How was she helping you?"

"I'm sure you know by now that I don't work at the coroner's office." She looked to Brennan. "I'm sorry I lied. I didn't know how else to get this information to you and they wouldn't patch me through to Mr. Booth."

"If you wanted to hide your identity, you wouldn't have used your real name," Brennan said. Booth took her hand from his shoulder and directed her to the chair beside his. He released it slowly.

"Right," Lacey looked down and then back up at Booth. "I would for an environmental survey company. I was assigned to Kirkland Construction. My findings on The Bridge project - you have heard of it?" She waited for them to nod. "Well they showed that the impact of that project on the ecosystem, the water table, the wild life in the reserved areas would be radically affected ... in effect killing that whole ecosystem. There are further reaching effects. In less than thirty years the entire area on both sides of the bridge would change such that it would be unable to support not only the bridge but the proposed housing and businesses developed. The natural erosion of the river bank would be kicked into high gear. There are further reaching effects, but I can't prove those. Only time will tell. But by then it would be too late."

"If that were true, then the project would have been scrapped."

"My report was buried, altered ... changed. I'm embarrassed to say this but my bosses were bought off."

"How did Rebecca get involved?"

"When I knew what was happening, I contacted her. We had worked together several times in the past. She was honest and fair minded. I really liked her." She wiped at her eyes. "I thought she would know what to do. We double checked my work and had another analyst at a different agency review my findings. He corroborated everything I said. About a week ago he was killed in a single car accident. They said he was drunk. Ephraim didn't drink. He was allergic to alcohol. I have known him since I was in college. That's when I got scared. I haven't been home since then. Ms Stinton and I were deciding what to do next. She told me about you, Agent Booth. That you were FBI."

"You had suggested that I not contact Booth when you first arrived," Brennan stated reaching over to touch his arm. "Why are you changing your story?"

"I don't know," she protested. "I don't. I'm scared. Ephraim clearly asked too many questions of the wrong people and it got him killed. They have to know by now that I am the ... the what? I don't even know what it's called."

"The leak."

"The whistle blower."

"Whatever ... they have to be coming after me. Look what they did to Ms Stinton." She looked at Booth. "I am so sorry." She broke down into tears.

Booth was not impressed with her show of sorrow. "How did you get the X-Rays?"

"I have a friend at the coroner's office. I won't tell you who it is."

"We'll find out, Ms Carroll," Booth stated.

Brennan nodded. "It won't be hard to find out. Each set of X-rays has a technician's ID on it."

Lacey shook her head. "Do we really have to involve him? I don't want him to lose his job - or worse."

Booth again took the lead. "We will find out eventually, and if we can they can. If he needs protection, you shouldn't waste anymore time."

Lacey looked back and forth between them. "Stuart Johnson."

"I will need the names of the people you work for and anything else you can remember."

"I wrote everything down. I have all my notes - everything I could get."

"Where is it?"

"In my car."

"Is it here?"

"No." She again washed with fear. "I left it at the office ... at Kirkland Construction. It is a maroon Prius." She pulled the keys from her pocket and handed them to Booth. "I can't go back there. I can't go home. Will you help me?"

Booth nodded. "She can't stay here," he said.

"She's safe at the Jeffersonian," Brennan stated. "Let's take her back to my office and she can lie down."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan handed Booth some coffee and they sat down at the table in the lounge.

"I need to go," he said sadly taking a sip and swallowing hard. "Parker will be up soon."

"What will you tell him?"

"I don't know." He looked up at her. "I know you are an advocate of the truth, but in this case, at least at this time, I don't have the truth. I have speculation, and a lot more missing facts than solid evidence." He wiped his hands over his face. "How the hell am I going to tell him that his mother was murdered?"

Brennan didn't have an answer. She reached across the table and put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. She couldn't help herself. She had an overpowering need to protect him, help him, comfort him. She loved him. Regardless of his feelings for her - she loved him. She would rather feel the sadness of not having him even the way they were, than the nothing she would experience if she locked those feelings away. Metaphorically, a door had been opened in her heart and it wouldn't be closed no matter how much pain it caused her.

"I need to open a case on this. I need to get the FBI to agree to take jurisdiction. They won't let me head the investigation, but ..."

"You will be involved, Booth."

He put his hand over hers.

"I will keep you involved."

Their eyes locked - deep, pain filled, grateful brown locked with empathetic, loving blue. They lost themselves. They lost the time, the place, the circumstances. At that moment, for that all too brief space of time, they were connected more intimately and profoundly than any words or actions could attest. Neither wanted to move from that moment; neither had the strength to sustain it - not yet.

They looked away at the same moment but both were fully aware of what was between them - at least what could be if life, ego and fear didn't again interfere.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**


	11. Chapter 11

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 11

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

At half past one Booth was leaving George Kirkland's office. The interview had been fruitless, but he expected that, but there was something about the guy that just seemed too nervous. He would keep an eye on him.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Kirkland," Booth said sarcastically. "If you think of anything that might help the investigation -."

"I will contact you immediately." Kirkland held out his hand for Booth to shake.

Booth had not interest in being friendly with that guy, but brought his hand up to shake.

The moment their hands touched, the split second skin touched skin; Booth blinked.

KA-BOOOOOM!

There was a huge explosion that came from the direction of the parking lot. The men were blown off balance. Booth eyes went wide.

BONES!

Brennan had left the Kirkland interview to meet the FBI crime scene techs that were there to pick up and process Lacey Carroll's Prius.

Reactively Booth pulled cuffs out of his pocket, slapped them on Kirkland and attached him to an exposed pipe in the office. He never said a word. He didn't have to. It was written all over Kirkland's face: fear, guilt, remorse, terror. Booth would deal with him later. He set off running toward the parking lot.

The scene was utter chaos; people screaming and running everywhere. People were just coming back from lunch break so there were a lot more of them in the parking lot than usual. Booth scanned the scene quickly looking for Brennan. She was not there. The FBI Crime Scene truck had been blown over. The flat bed that was to remove the Prius had been caught in the explosion. Booth could see that they had already started pulling the Prius up. The car was completely destroyed and still burning. Shrapnel from the car had spewed the lot. Booth ran toward the remains of the car. One of the FBI techs, the one that had been working the winch was blown back into the windshield of a car across the lot. He was charred and not moving. There were two other men in FBI windbreakers helping each other up. Booth ran to them.

"Where's Bones?"

"What?" They were disoriented and their hearing had not returned. Probably wouldn't, would be hearing ringing for days.

"Dr. Brennan ... Where is Dr. Brennan?" he shouted over the din, over their deafness.

They shook their heads. Booth heard sirens approaching. He was becoming frantic. Where could she be?

Out of sheet desperation he looked inside the Prius. There was a body in the driver's seat - correction, the charred remains of a body were in the driver's seat. Panic washed over him. He couldn't let his mind go there. He couldn't believe that it could be Brennan - not Brennan too. He couldn't think. He was paralyzed. Normally in these situations he would call Brennan. She could tell right away if those remains were male or female, approximate age, anything to eliminate her as a possibility. But someone would get bad news that day. Someone would get news that a person they loved and relied on, someone they were building a future with would not be coming home. And in the blink of an eye, their whole world would change.

The emergency vehicles pulled up. The EMTs set to work. Booth stood amidst the wreckage scanning but not really seeing what was happening around him. His mind was spinning so fast he didn't see what was right in front of him. Who was right in front of him.

"Booth!" she shouted again.

His eyes focused on her face. There were several cuts and abrasions on one side of her still beautiful face. He reached out to touch her. She was real. Brennan was standing in front of him; alive and apparently well enough to walk and talk. He lips spread into a unbelieving smile. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you OK?" he asked desperately.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm OK. Your SUV is not." She half turned (as much as his grip would allow) to nod over to where his SUV had been parked. The driver's side had sustained damage in the explosion. All the windows were broken. "I was in the car, reading through Lacey Carroll's reports." She held up the bag that she had found in the trunk of the Prius under the floor mat. She seemed unaffected by the explosion. She was calm, cool, collected. Typical Brennan. She had seen so much horror in her life, it was no wonder she had learned to compartmentalize.

Booth was overcome with relief. He crushed her to his chest. He tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He closed his eyes to prevent the hot tears that were welling there from rolling down his face. "Thank you, Thank You ... Dear God, thank you." He said just above a whisper.

Brennan was uncomfortable in his embrace. It was too much. Too much from him. He shouldn't be feeling that much emotion for her, about her, with her, to her. He was in love with another woman. He said as much. She had a very specific place in his life and it wasn't in his arms. She wedged her hand between them and gently pressed him back.

He looked down at her. Took her face in his hands and inspected her injuries. "We need to get you to the paramedics."

"I'm fine Booth," she looked away. When he released his hold on her, she lost her balance and nearly fell.

"You are not fine, Bones." He wrapped a protective arm around her and directed her over to the EMTs. They would at least make her sit down for a moment.

More police, fire and other emergency people showed up. They wanted answers. Booth was identified by one of the FBI crime scene techs. He was pulled away from Brennan after ensuring that the medic working on her would take care of her.

For the next few hours Booth was dealing with the whole mess. The FBI director came to the scene; DC metro was there, not to mention the fire chief and anyone else who had interest in what happened. Kirkland was taken into custody on some very thin grounds and Booth ordered an investigation into his life demanding to know what color underwear he had been wearing every day for the past ten days. Booth was barking orders and fielding questions. After snapping at some young cop, the director finally pulled Booth aside.

"You need to recuse yourself from this investigation."

"No," Booth was appalled at the idea.

"You are too close, Booth and you are losing your objectivity."

"No, sir." He stood firm.

"Look, I understand that you want to be involved. If the mother of my children was murdered, I would want to get to the bottom of it and make whoever was responsible pay - and I don't even like my ex-wife. But this thing is less than twenty-four hours old. You need to give yourself time to deal with what happened, take care of your son. Let someone else do the leg work for a change. We will bring the bastard in, I promise you that."

"Sir, Kirkland -."

"I have released Kirkland. You don't have enough to hold him. Hell you don't have enough to question him. You are aware that Kirkland is Senator Huff's son, correct?"

"Senator Huff ... the one behind The Bridge project?"

"Circumstantial, Booth. But the rule at the FBI is; you don't go pissing in politician's pools until you have some good hard evidence."

"But Sir -."

"It's not a suggestion, Booth. Go home. Take care of your son. You are off this investigation. If I hear that you are working this thing off the books, I will take your badge and your gun. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan walked into the lab alone. She was still very shaken and not just by the explosion. Angela saw her and ran to help her.

"Sweetie, were you in an accident?" She stopped her friend to survey the injuries. "Sweetie!" she pleaded. "Did you go to the hospital?"

"It was an explosion. The paramedics checked me out. They suggested I should go, but I didn't want to. I'm fine."

"An explosion!" Angela wrapped her arm around Brennan, motioned for everyone else to back off and took her to Brennan's office. She sat her down on the couch and got her some water. "Tell me what's going on, Sweetie."

Brennan took a sip of water with great effort. The explosion had actually thrown her into the dash board and she had snapped her head back on the head rest. It was very jarring. A few ibuprofen and she would be fine.

"Where's Booth? You were with Booth, right?"

"Yes, he was there." Brennan realized that Angela would not back off so she told her everything from discovering that Rebecca was murdered, to calling Cam in and doing a preliminary exam, to Lacey Carroll, to Booth, to opening a case, to the interview with Kirkland, to retrieving Lacey's documents from her car, to the explosion. She was calm, dispassionate; just stating the facts as they were.

Angela saw that she was holding back. That she was barely able to keep it together. She got up and crossed to the door and closed it. She closed the blinds and rejoined her friend. "What else, sweetie?" she asked softly.

Brennan looked into Angela's warm loving accepting eyes and her will to stay detached broke. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

"What this, Bren?"

"Work with him. Be with him. Talk to him. I just ... I can't. I can't."

"What's Booth doing now?" Angela was more than a little annoyed with Booth; had been for months. Bringing home his stray dog like that - how rude?

"He is ... he is ... he is treating me like he used to."

"I don't understand."

"He talks to me. He touches me. He smiles at me. He looks at me ... like he used to ... like before ... before we parted ... before he suggested anything more between us."

"You mean he uses that low husky voice like you are the only two people in the world that can hear it. That he touches you and you feel it jolt through your body like electricity knowing that if he ever lets go you'll die. He smiles at you with that twinkle in his eye like he knows everything about you and loves your soul. You mean he looks at you with those bedroom eyes where you can just feel him touching every inch of your body and you melt."

"Angela, that is hardly helpful." But she was right.

"Just saying ... that eye sex that you have is ... whew ... wowza ... I mean ... get a room."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You love him. He loves you. Do I really need to tell you what the next step is?"

"He is with Hannah. And even if he weren't with Hannah, he chose her."

"Because you refused him."

Brennan shook her head. "Booth told me that he KNEW."

"Knew what?"

"Knew - from the moment we met ... Booth believes in destiny. He believes - believed that we would somehow be together for years from the moment we met. That was his justification for wanting to take a chance on a sexual relationship with me. He said HE KNEW."

"Ok," Angela didn't see the issue.

"He knew ... then I said no ... then he fell in love with Hannah - so much in love with Hannah that -."

"Sweetie, wait just a minute. You are missing the big YEAR LONG separation."

"We were only apart for seven months. But in that seven months he met, and fell in love with Hannah. Enough to have her quit her job, move to Washington, into his apartment, into his life. He doesn't love me anymore. Do you see what I mean about love being transitory, ephemeral, a manufactured lie to quell the masses?"

"Honey, you are reading this wrong." She took her hand. "First of all, love is not precise. You can't quantify it and you can't prove it. Love is love and it can be empowering and strong or devastating. And this may be really hard for you to understand, but it is possible to love two people - two very different people at the same time. So Booth was not wrong. He may have known that you were - and are - his destiny, but he needed to wait for you to know it too."

"So he is waiting with Hannah?"

"Sweetie, Hannah is transitory, ephemeral. Trust me. Trust Booth. And if he is doing the eye sex with you again ... Hannah is but a memory."

"I don't like love. It hurts too much."

"It hurts now, sweetie. But you will see that it is all worth it. Just hang in there, for a little bit longer."

"How can I claim to love Booth, if I am hoping that he will end a relationship with someone he loves? How is that considered love?"

"It just is, sweetie."

"Stupid." She handed Angela Lacey Carroll's notes. "Please see what you can make of this."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth walked into Rebecca's house and smack into Sherry. He was very unhappy that Brennan left the scene without him, but he needed to check on Parker. He would see her later at the lab and compare notes.

"What the hell is going on?" Sherry demanded.

"Where is Parker?"

"Not that you care, but Brent took him to the park. At least he can be a proper father to him."

"Sherry look ... it has been a really long night -."

"I gather that ... out with one of your sluts?"

"I was working."

"Right ... working. Must have been a very important case to take you away from the son you love so much."

"As a matter of fact it was ... it is."

"Look Booth -."

"Rebecca was murdered ... so will you get off my back for fifteen damn minutes so I can figure out who murdered her. Is that really too much to ask?"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: Thanks for staying with this story. Looks like we have lots of readers or a bunch of re-readers. HA. Thanks for reading and comments are nice.


	12. Chapter 12

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 12

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It was late when he got back to Rebecca's house, later than he had expected, and ran into Sherry. He was really trying to be indifferent to her, but it was hard to do. She was barking at him again about something.

"What the hell is going on?" she snapped. "Out with one of your sluts?" she accused. "Right ... working." Sherry glared at him with her hands on her hips. "Must have been a very important case to take you away from the son you love so much."

Booth lost it. He just didn't have it in him to take her shit any more. He had been up for nearly forty-eight hours, and had more coffee than anyone should in a month. In less than eighteen hours he had lost is girlfriend, found out the mother of his child was murdered, had a heart to heart with his son, and he nearly lost his partner. Sherry and her Booth vendetta were not even on his radar.

**x-x-x**

Booth had come home from the lab early that morning that morning before contacting the FBI, before going to Kirkland Construction, before the explosion that killed two FBI crime scene techs, injuring two more and his partner. He came home to check on Parker hoping to get there before his son woke up. It was about four forty-five when he pulled up to the house. He had been gone less than four hours. The lights were on and Booth could see Brent and Parker on the couch in the living room as he walked up. He didn't know Brent very well, but the man looked totally devastated. Booth had to assume it was from the loss of Rebecca. Booth hadn't told him that he suspected murder; that conversation was coming. Brent didn't ask why Booth needed to go out in the middle of the night. In fact Brent would have been hard pressed to tell you what day it was much less the time.

What caught Booth's attention was Parker. He had never seen him look so uncomfortable, anxious, nervous. He was sitting on the opposite side from Brent with what looked liked his game controller in his hands. He was fiddling with it and turning it over and over. His eyes never met Brent's and he wasn't talking. Booth could see that Brent was trying to engage him but it was fruitless.

When Booth came in Parker barely looked at him. He didn't say anything and shied away from his father's touch. It broke Booth's heart. He had one job now: to give some stability back to his son. To let him know that he was safe, loved and would be taken care of. There were other cops in Washington dedicated to finding justice. He could let them take over the search for Rebecca's killer.

Booth thanked Brent for watching out for Parker. Brent didn't want to leave but he knew that Parker and Booth needed some time alone. He suggested that he go out and pick up some breakfast. Sherry had stocked the house with healthy food (her whole wheat waffles the day before were barely edible).

When Brent was gone, Booth sat down with his son.

"What do you have there?" Booth nodded to the game controller.

"It's broke."

"Broken," Booth corrected reflexively and was sorry afterward. "It's OK, buddy, we'll fix it. Do you want me to show you how?"

Parker tossed the controller across the room. "I don't care. It's just a stupid game."

Parker had been into all kinds of video games. Rebecca had been worried that he was focusing on them too much neglecting his school work and his friends. Booth assured her it was just a boy thing but promised to talk to him about it. He hadn't done that yet.

Booth screwed up his courage. "I'm sorry I went out so late."

"You didn't tell me," Parker accused.

"I was hoping to get back before you woke up," Booth said weakly knowing that it was no excuse. He should never have left without saying good-bye and telling him when he would be back. "I'm sorry, buddy. I am. But you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up."

"I heard you leave. I saw you pull out of the driveway."

"Oh Buddy, you should have called me. You have my cell."

"Brent said you were working."

"Parker." The boy did not turn toward Booth. "Parker, listen to me." He waited until the boy turned his head. "You can call me any time - day or night - no matter what is going on. You can call me. I will always answer for you. Every time. I will always be there for you. You are all that matters to me, OK? No one else, Bud, just you. OK?"

"What about Hannah?"

Booth knew this conversation was coming and had expected that it would be sooner rather than later. "You're more important than Hannah," he said earnestly. It was the first time he said it out loud. It wasn't hard for him to say. He believed it completely, but he was still sorry that it had to come to that. But he needed to tell Parker that Hannah was gone. He hadn't wanted to before. He felt that it was his loss not Parker's and he didn't want Parker to feel like he was responsible for Hannah's leaving. The real truth was that he wasn't responsible, but the nuance of that would probably be lost on an eleven year old. "Come here, Buddy."

Booth moved closer to him on the couch and wanted Parker to do the same; meeting in the middle, as it were. Parker did. He was a little reluctant but he did.

"Parker, Hannah has taken a job in South America."

"When will she be back?"

Booth pursed his lips and exhaled slowly. "She won't be coming back - at least not to us."

"Why?"

"For her job. Her job just wouldn't let her stay here with us." He had to say something that a kid would understand.

Parker knew Booth was lying. "She left because of me," he stated. Kids understand a lot more than we give them credit for.

"No," Booth protested. "No, not at all. She left because of me."

"I thought you loved her."

"Ya, know Buddy, I thought so too. I did love her, but not the right kind. There are all kinds of love in the world. Some are meant to last a lifetime, some not so much. And just because you love someone doesn't mean that you can be with them. I love your mom, and we couldn't be together. It doesn't mean that I don't love her."

"And Dr. Bones?"

Booth's heart nearly skipped a beat. Kids understand **A LOT** more - what happens to that understanding when kids become adults? "Yes, I love Bones too."

"Enough for a lifetime?"

Booth didn't know how to answer. A year ago he was sure enough to take a risk on it, but that didn't work out so well. Six weeks ago that could have changed, but it didn't. Now that there was nothing standing in their way, could they find a common ground that could build a lifetime? Was it the right time for that? It was all too much to think about right then. He need to give his kid a simple answer and Booth fell back on the truth; can't go wrong with the truth. "I don't know, Bud. I really don't know. Maybe." He offered a weak smile. "But you and me, huh? You and me are good for a lifetime, right?"

Parker smiled. "Yeah."

Booth wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. "I'm sorry I left without telling you. I won't ever do that again, OK? And if you ever need me, for anything ... and I mean ANYTHING ... even if you just want to say Hi ... you call me, OK? I will always answer and I will never be more than fifteen minutes away." Booth needed to be careful with the _**always**_ and _**never**_ comments. Making promises that he couldn't keep was not a good thing. Sweets would tell him that.

"What about when you are working a case? Sometimes you have to go away for cases."

"Well, we should talk about that, shouldn't we? I was thinking about not working cases any more. That maybe I would find a better job; one that won't take up so much time; one where I can be sure to make all your games and be home on the weekends."

"You would stop working for the FBI?" Parker asked.

"Well, maybe ... maybe I would work for them in a different capacity."

"Then who would catch all the bad people?"

"There are other agents at the FBI, Parker."

"Not as good as you."

"Some are better."

"No," Parker protested. "Who would work with Dr. Bones? And Dr. Jack? And Angela?" Parker was getting upset. Too much was changing too quickly.

"OK ... OK Bud, don't worry. It is just something to think about, OK? We don't have to make any decisions right now and we can talk about it some more before we do anything, OK?"

"OK." He looked away and then back at Booth. "Is that where you were? Looking for a bad guy?"

Booth again felt caught. Truth, Booth. Stick with the truth - the SIMPLE truth. "Yes."

"Did you catch him?"

"Not yet, buddy, but we will."

"Do you have to go back to work?"

"For a little while, but not right now. When I do, will it be OK if Brent stays with you?"

"Brent's OK. He's sad."

Booth and Parker talked more about Brent, about being sad and about Rebecca. They talked a lot about her. It was a good conversation. The kid seemed to be handling it really well. Resilient. But Booth knew enough not to trust that. Parker was just a kid. At some point it would really hit him that his mother was gone for good. Booth needed to be there when that happened, as often as it happened.

Brent came back and the three had breakfast. Rebecca wouldn't approve of Brent's choice and that made them all feel a little guilty. Booth was beginning to see what Rebecca has seen in Brent. He was a decent man.

Shortly after nine, Booth left to go to the office. He had been on the phone, but needed to speak to the director in person. He got them to open a case and claim jurisdiction. That meant there would be a full blown autopsy done on Rebecca, and Ephraim Cohen which meant exhumation orders etc. There was a lot to do. The judge finally signed the order to retrieve Lacey Carroll's car around eleven-thirty, and Booth and Brennan were in Kirkland's office before one o'clock. Then all hell broke loose.

**x-x-x**

It was after four when he got back to Rebecca's house and ran into Sherry and Booth was about as his breaking point. Lack of sleep will do that to a man - well anyone really.

"Must have been a very important case," Sherry barked at him. "To take you away from the son you love so much."

"As a matter of fact it was ... it is."

"Look Booth -."

"Rebecca was murdered ... so will you get off my back for fifteen damn minutes so I can figure out who murdered her. Is that really too much to ask?"

Sherry fell back as if his words had literally slapped her in the face. Her back hit the wall and she sunk down to the floor. She was in shock. Speechless. The look on her face was of sheer horror.

Booth was immediately sorry. He never should have snapped at her like that and not with that kind of information. He squatted down in front of her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ... I have ... I'm sorry."

She stared at him, the hatred replaced with fear. "Murdered?"

Booth nodded.

"She told me she was scared but I didn't think she was serious. She told me not to worry."

"Come on," Booth touched her arm. "Let's get off the floor. We are both too old to be on the floor." He helped her up and directed her to the kitchen table. He sat caddy corner from her.

"She told me that there was a man ... a man that called her ... he told her to back off."

"When ... when did she tell you?"

"Last week ... maybe Friday ... I don't know. We talk every day. She only told me about the one time. She told me not to worry." She fixed booth with a panicked look. "Oh god, she was murdered?"

Booth felt sorry for her. Sorry about the way he had told her and sorry that she was so distraught. "The evidence points to that. The Jeffersonian is doing an autopsy right now and we have some leads to follow."

"Autopsy ... no, no ... she has been cremated. I am picking up her ashes tomorrow. The service is tomorrow night. No."

"It's OK, Sherry."

"How will it ever be OK?"

Booth shook his head. He had no idea how or when it would be OK. He saw Brent and Parker pull up. "Ok, Sherry, you have to pull it together. I haven't told Parker about this. Brent knows but not much. OK. You need to keep it together. That little boy has gone through too much already, OK."

She nodded wiping at her tears and trying to calm herself down.

"You should go to the bathroom and throw some cold water on your face."

She nodded and started to get up. She turned to Booth and took both his hands in hers. "Promise me, Booth. Promise me you will catch the guy who took my sister away from me."

"I will," he assured her.

She stood up, took a half a step away and then turned her head back. "I hope you kill him," she said over her shoulder and then walked into the bathroom.

Booth couldn't hope for the same thing, but knew that if it came to that, he would - no questions asked. Booth hated that about himself.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: So this chapter was Brennan-lite, but at least Booth admitted to loving her. Thanks for reading, looks like there are a bunch of you. Keep those comments coming; love to chat with you about your thoughts on the story and on what is happening on BONES next. Think we can all agree - Hannah has to go and they need to bring the funny back, the hook up for Booth and Bones is so far down on my list of what I want to see on BONES as to not even make the top ten. Not to worry - FanFix always get them together. :-)


	13. Chapter 13

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 13

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It was close to six in the evening. Brennan was working alone in her office; the rest of the Jeffersonian crew was headed home. The autopsy lab was kept under wraps; no one was allowed in (very hush, hush). The body of Ephraim Cohen had not arrived as yet; it would be there before midnight. He had been taken home to Florida to be buried. Cam had left a few hours before to get some sleep, but promised to back to start the autopsy for Cohen when he arrived. She had encouraged Brennan to do the same. Brennan would leave shortly to go home and shower and maybe a short nap. She was reviewing the information that Angela had put together form the information from Lacey Carroll. She was now in protective custody.

"Temperance?"

Brennan looked up and saw Hannah standing in her doorway. She couldn't read her expression. Even if she was good at reading expressions, it would be hard to know what she was thinking. "Hannah, I don't believe we have much to discuss."

"So, Seeley told you," Hannah said walking into the office. "It figures that you would be the first call."

"I don't know to what you are referring. Booth has told me nothing as pertains to you. We have been working the murder of - we have been working a case since last we spoke."

"Oh, well ... if that's how you want to play it." Hannah sat down. "Seeley and I have agreed to go our separate ways. So ... you win."

Brennan shook her head. "I fail to see how I am a factor at all."

Hannah shook her head and smiled. "I wanted to hate you. I wanted to be angry with you. I wanted to at least dislike you. But I can't."

Brennan didn't respond.

"This is really you, isn't it? It is not some act."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You ... this, this ... super scientist ... FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST with her nose stuck so far into the study of life from death that you don't have a life of your own. LIVE, Temperance. Life is about living. Put down your analytical side and just feel. You have so much going for you; you can have so much more."

Brennan bristled under her analysis.

"Seeley loves you. You love him. Go make babies and have a life together."

"He chose you," Brennan stated.

"What? When?"

"He chose you," she repeated. "I suggested that I had deeper feelings for him six weeks ago, and he chose you. He said he was in love with you. That you were not a consolation prize."

Hannah sat up. "He said that? In those exact words?" Brennan nodded. Hannah looked down for moment. "He never said a thing to me?"

"Why should he?" Typical Brennan question.

Hannah almost laughed. "You, supposedly my friend, his partner, makes a play for my boyfriend and you think that I shouldn't know about it?"

"I don't know exactly what you mean by 'makes a play for' but I assume he didn't discuss it with you because it wasn't important to him."

"Or it was so important that he was hiding it from me."

"Why would he do that?"

"To protect himself. To protect you. Maybe to protect me - I don't know." She shook her head. "I thought you were my friend, why would you do that?"

"To be truthful, he was there when I realized my mistake and regretted my choice. It felt right to tell him."

"Mistake? Regret? What are you telling me?"

"A year ago, after discussing Dr. Sweets' book about our working relationship in which he concluded that Booth and I were in love with each other..."

"Lance wrote a book?"

"Yes, but it was based on an erroneous assumption."

"Which was?"

"That the murder of Cleo Ellers was the first case we worked together and that we had never kissed."

"What the hell kind of Shakespearean Tragicomedy did I step into here?" Hannah threw up he hands. "I never knew any of this."

"Be that as it may, after that meeting with Dr. Sweets, Booth suggested that he wanted a sexual relationship with me. This was a month before I went to Maluku and he went to Afghanistan. At the time I rejected him. I have since come to realize that that was a mistake. I understand that I missed my chance and I will adapt."

"Wow." Hannah got up and moved across the room. "I mean ... WOW." She ran her hand through her hair.

"That night Booth stated that he had to move on," Brennan went on. "That he had to find someone who will love him in fifty years." She swallowed hard. "He found you."

Hannah smirked. "Yeah. He found me." The truth was Booth wasn't looking when she found him. She pushed everything in that relationship from the first time under the fig tree to following him to Washington, DC. She sighed and sat back down. "So why would you tell him that you regretted your decision?"

"As I said, he was there when I realized my mistake. If he hadn't have been, I probably wouldn't have said anything."

Hannah shook her head. Thinking back over the past six week she could see that Seeley had been acting differently. He was withdrawn, distant. He had been evasive about Temperance; didn't bring her up in conversation or suggest doing anything socially. Before that Brennan was a household word; at least since she came to Washington. Since then something Brennan had said, done or believed was in every discussion - except when they were in bed. Then he was pretty focused on her body and his. She started to wonder if the sex has been so great because it was just about two bodies finding pleasure. It sure as hell wasn't making love - at least not like she remembered it.

"Well, men are idiots and Seeley is nothing if not a man. He was wrong. I am - I was the consolation prize. You're the goal, the gold medal, the blue ribbon, the Stanley Cup."

Brennan couldn't agree. "What do you assume that Booth does not know his own mind?"

"What do you assume that he does?" Hannah picked up her bag. "Ask yourself this - how long before Booth suggested that you two cross that line had he been thinking about it?"

"I have no way of answering that."

"Well, if I was a betting woman, and I am ... I would bet he had been thinking about it since the first time you kissed - or maybe it was the day he first laid eyes on you. Destiny. So why would he keep his mouth shut for five years?"

"Six."

"Whatever." She walked to the door. "Do me a favor Temperance and do all the other men and women that cross yours and Booth's paths - get it together. It may work, it may not - but until you two try - you will only be hurting yourself and anyone else who is stupid enough to get between you. Take care of each other, OK?" Brennan nodded slightly. "I am headed off to find my own adventure and with any luck I will find another Seeley, but one who loves me and no one else."

"I was your friend, Hannah. Because of you, not because of Booth."

Hannah nodded. "That is probably true."

"I'm sorry if I hurt you or ruined your relationship with Booth."

"It happens. I don't think you would ever intentionally hurt anyone, but that is the problem with love. The heart wants what the heart wants. You can't logic yourself into or out of it. Good bye, Temperance."

"Good bye, Hannah."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Joe, the security guard, insisted on walking Brennan to her car. After her conversation with Hannah, Brennan needed a long hot shower and a power nap. There was work to be done. What happened between Booth and Hannah was not her fault nor was it her business. The only nagging question she had (other than the one Hannah left her with) was why Booth hadn't said anything. They had been pretty focused on finding Rebecca's killer so maybe he just forgot.

As Brennan approached her car she noticed a note tucked under the wiper. Joe chatted beside her about something or other, she had tuned him out. Brennan stopped and started scanning the parking lot. It took Joe a few more steps for him to notice but when he did he was on hyper alert.

"What is it, Dr. Brennan?"

"There is a note on my car." She gestured to it. "No one I know would do that."

"OK ... OK ... stay back ... get behind that pillar. I'll get it."

"Joe, please." She walked by him and pulled the note off her car. It was folded over once. She opened it. In big red letters is said:

**BACK OFF!**

Joe was by her side in a moment. "What does that mean? Who would have left that? What are you supposed to BACK OFF of?"

Brennan again scanned the parking lot. "We need to go back inside."

"Right." Joe had his gun drawn and was holding it in two hands pointing toward the ground but ready to aim and fire if there was any danger."

"You need to lock down the garage. No one in or out." She stated firmly. "I will call the bomb squad."

Joe was shocked. He was about to question the need for the bomb squad, until he looked at her face and saw the cuts and bruises there. "Right. Right away."

Brennan looked back at the note and then scanned the garage again. Nothing stood out, but she felt she was being watched.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N**: Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I know we all thought Hannah was really gone before, but I thought she needed to say something to Brennan. OK ... now you can start the celebration in earnest. She is really gone. For good. Her memory will linger, just like cheap perfume, but she is gone-gone now.

So, Brennan ... note on car ... that's can't be good ... he knows where she works, what she drives, mabye he is even watching her. Hmmmmmm ... not good at all. BACK OFF? Not bloody likely. Isn't that what he said to Rebecca? Didn't turn out so well for her. DUN. DUN. DUUUUNNNNN.


	14. Chapter 14

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 14

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan was instructed not to call Booth to discuss the anything by Agent Perotta and Agent Langostino, so she had to wait until they were gone to call him. He should have been her first call, but he was spending time with Parker and she thought that was more important than having him worry about something he couldn't control. The bomb squad was done sometime around nine PM and the agents left shortly after that. Another agent, Agent Kerry, was sent to protect her, but he was giving her space while she was in the lab. Sometime after ten was the first opportunity she had to contact Booth. To say that he was put out that she hadn't called him, that she was threatened, that there could be a bomb, would be understating. Booth was livid routed in fear, but absolutely livid.

"What did the note say?" Booth demanded again. "Exactly ... what did it say?"

"Back Off," she repeated for the third time.

"I won't 'back off'," he stated. "You should've called me first. I don't give a flying fuck what the director, Agent Perotta or whoever the hell the other guy is said. YOU CALL ME FIRST - ALWAYS! If someone is warning you or God forbid trying to kill you, I need to know about it, OK? You're my partner! I protect you. OK? So, what did the note say?"

"Back Off," she stated again.

"BONES, I won't -."

"Booth that's what the note said ... back off ... two words ... that's it."

It made him angrier when he realized what she was saying. "That's what he said to Rebecca."

"When?"

"Sherry told me that Rebecca had gotten a call from someone a day or two before ... before she died from a man telling her to 'back off'. It was probably the night she called me and I didn't answer." He muttered some expletives under his breath. His frustration was palpable. "I should be there for you. I should've been here for Rebecca. I should've answered that damned call."

There was no point in addressing the things that could not be changed. "Booth, I'm fine. The bomb squad did not find anything in my car. They said they would sweep my apartment and post a guard there. And Agent Kerry is with me."

"Who is Agent Kerry?"

"A new agent ... transfer from Seattle," she said. "He seems very well muscled and quite menacing. I'm sure I will be very safe with him."

"I don't like it."

"You don't have a choice. If the director finds out that I am talking to you, you will be suspended."

"I don't care. Nothing can happen to you," he stated emphatically and then checked himself. "I just don't like that I'm not there."

"Booth you can't be everywhere to protect everyone. I can take care of myself," she stated. "Parker is your concern now." She kept nervous talking. "And I'm thinking about your career. If you truly want to leave the FBI it should be your choice not because you couldn't follow orders."

"I know ... I know ... But ... I know you can take care of yourself ... but ... but ... look what happened to Rebecca when she fought back."

Cam and Brennan had discovered something that they hadn't told anyone yet. "Booth, Rebecca didn't die from an Epidural Hematoma."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, she had suffered a head injury but it was not that sever. She was given an overdose of morphine."

"So, what? This bastard assaulted her and when she didn't die he followed her to the hospital and pumped her full of morphine when no one was looking?"

"I'm sorry, but yes it appears to have happened that way; however I can't tell you if the person who assaulted her and the person who gave her the morphine are one and the same. Nor can I be sure that she was given the morphine at the hospital. We are still running some tests. We should know by morning."

Booth ranted on about pulling the security footage from the hospital, getting her chart etc, etc, etc; all things that he couldn't order and she could only suggest. She told him that she would tell Perotta about the real cause of death and make those suggestions to her.

Brennan as exhausted as she was, finally got him to focus long enough to go through the events as they knew them.

Sunday Rebecca called Booth. He didn't take that call.

Monday night Rebecca reportedly fell at work and the paramedics were called. That was at about five thirty. Booth had spoken to a colleague who claimed to find Rebecca when she was on her way to her car. Rebecca refused to go to the hospital, the colleague drove her home and she went straight to bed. Maria stated that she was there to see Rebecca come home and was asked to go pick up Parker at basketball practice. Parker did not speak to Rebecca that night as she was asleep. Maria stayed overnight.

Tuesday AM, Maria got Parker off to school. Parker called Booth to ask for a ride home from practice since Rebecca was sick. Maria came back from dropping Parker off to find Rebecca 'non-responsive' in bed. The paramedics were called. She was taken to the hospital. X-rays and other tests were done to determine that she was suffering from an epidural hematoma and would need a craniotomy. There was a sudden loss of blood pressure, and she stopped breathing. Rebecca never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead less than an hour after she got to the hospital.

"We don't have evidence to prove this yet, but she might have been given the morphine the night before or in the morning when Maria and Parker were out of the house."

"Security footage won't help me then."

"No."

"And my crime scene has been contaminated with Sherry's cleaning."

"Yes."

"So we have nothing."

Brennan did her best to assure him that they would find the person or persons responsible. There was a long pause where neither had anything to say; actually they both had a lot to say, but it was not the right time or place to say any of it. Brennan stated that she was going home to shower and get a short nap before coming back to help Cam with the autopsy on Ephraim Cohen. Booth challenged her again to be careful. She assured him of her safety. Hanging up was difficult for each - more so for Booth. But he made her promise to call when they had any new information, and when she got home, when she was on her way back to the lab and again when she got the lab. She didn't say she would.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan took her own car home forcing Agent Kerry to follow in his own vehicle. It was not FBI issue Brennan could tell) but it was a dark sedan. Maybe it was new. She forced him to "guard" her from the hall outside her apartment. He asked her not to put the chain on, she agreed, but the chain was slid into place as soon as the door closed behind her. The drive home convinced her that she needed more than a power nap. She needed some real sleep. The shower would wait.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth had called Perotta as soon as he got off the phone with Brennan. She did not answer and it took her at least an hour and two more calls before he spoke with her. He questioned where she was on the investigation. She of course told him that she was not at liberty to discuss the case with him under orders from the director. Booth eventually got her to give up what she knew and what she was doing. Brennan had not called about the information about the actual cause of death for Rebecca so she hadn't started working on that yet.

"So who is this Kerry person?" Booth asked.

"Transfer from the Seattle office. Good agent. We were at the academy together."

Booth still didn't like it.

"You've got to relax Booth. You are not the only one who can solve a case around here or protect a witness."

"Have you checked on Lacey Carroll?"

"Not in the last fifteen minutes," she was annoyed.

"When? When did you check on her?"

"Dinner time."

"Are you joking? Do you know how serious this thing is? Do you know this leads right to a senator's door. Billions of dollars in government money is on the line here. Killing a few witnesses, a lawyer, a couple of FBI Techs and a forensic anthropologist wouldn't cause them to lose an hour's sleep."

Perotta was trying to be reassuring. She knew that Booth had reason to be upset. The mother of his son was dead. "Booth, I'm sorry about Ms Stinton. Lacey Carroll is locked away safely and Dr. Brennan will be fine with Kerry. As I said she and I were at the academy together. She was the best marksman in the class."

"SHE?" Booth's eyes flew open. He was standing in a heartbeat. "Get to Brennan's right now," he shouted.

"Booth!"

"NOW PEROTTA ... lights and sirens all the way." He ended the call and tried Brennan. No answer. He looked around there was no one there: just him and Parker.

"Dad?" Parker called from the hallway. "You woke me up."

"Get your shoes, Buddy. We have to go!" Booth grabbed his weapon from on top of the bookcase and Parker and flew out of the house; phone in hand, ringing Brennan.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Joe was making his sweep of the garage. On the lowest parking level he found an SUV that wasn't there earlier. There was an odd banging from the back. As he approached he could hear muffled yelling. He smashed the driver's side window with the butt of his weapon, and hit the button to unlock the doors. Holding his weapon at the ready, he popped the back latch. A woman in a black suit was hogtied and gagged in the back. He reached for the gag and pulled it off her mouth.

"THANK GOD! I have been in there for hours."

Still holding his weapon on her he asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Amanda Kerry ... untie me ... my ID is in my pocket ... I'm supposed to be guarding Dr. Temperance Brennan. I was hit from behind and stuffed in the back."

Joe's eyes went wide. He pulled his radio and made a call to the security office.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan wasn't sleeping but her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. There was too much spinning around in her head: Rebecca's murder, Hannah's goodbye visit and Booth's treatment of her. He was being nice, too nice, over solicitously nice, saying things he should not say, touching her in ways he should not - if he had moved on. She was just finally getting to the point where she had accepted that Booth was really in love, that he could no longer be her surrogate mate in any way and that she really could be happy for him. She had hope for herself in finding a mate. She even went so far as to fantasize about Ian O'Dwyer. Up until Rebecca's death, Booth had been strained with her but she had faith that they would work through it. She didn't want to lose him in her life, but if he continued to treat her so intimately that might have to change. Just because Hannah was gone, didn't mean that Booth would turn his attention back to Brennan. She wouldn't want that. She didn't want to be second choice. Not to mention it would be hard to trust a declaration of love from Booth. He had never actually said it to her. It was only implied but the implication was emphatic. He was THAT GUY, WHO KNEW. But then he moved on and fell in love with someone else. So what guy was he exactly, and what did he know? She couldn't think about it; at least not rationally. It was something she had to feel her way through - at least that was what Angela had told her. She was too tired anyway to really think about anything much less Booth.

She was down for less than ten minutes when her phone beeped in her jeans on the floor indicating that the battery needed to be charged. She really didn't care, but she knew it would be as relentless as the Hippolytus de Marsiliis Torture (aka Chinese Water Torture). She dragged herself from bed, plugged it in, and changed the ring to silent. A loud noise came from the living room. She slipped from the bedroom into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She pulled her weapon from behind the vanity in the bathroom and waited. She heard the noise again only louder. It sounded like someone was trying to break through the chain lock on her door. One more time and she heard the door slam against the wall. Whoever it was; was in.

She positioned herself behind the door using the mirror to see into the hall. That wouldn't last long as the steam from the shower was fogging up the glass. Of course if she could see him, he could see her. She had to be fast. "Kerry" entered the bathroom gun first and fired two rounds into the shower. She slammed into the door forcing him to drop his weapon. She kicked again and the door slammed into his head. He stumbled but kicked the door back into Brennan forcing her to fall back into the shower and drop her weapon. There was dusting powder on the sink (a gift from her father) she pried open the lid and when the door opened she threw all of it in his face. She kicked him back into the wall and once more in the face causing him to go down. She grabbed the handcuffs on his belt and put one cuff on his wrist. He was struggling and had grabbed her foot. She slammed down on his back with her other foot while pulling the cuffed arm up behind his back. She heard his shoulder dislocate. He let out a yelp and released the hold on her foot. She hit him again and was able to pull his other hand up behind his back and attach the other cuff. She checked him for other weapons and sat down in the hall away from his flailing feet.

Just then Booth burst into her apartment, gun drawn calling her name.

"BOOTH!" she called to him. "I'm here. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Booth lowered his weapon. The sight before him made him smile. Bones sitting on the floor with some big guy covered in powder handcuffed on the floor. Bones can take care of herself.

Perotta and Langostino were right behind Booth as was the REAL Agent Kerry.

"He tried to kill me," she said panting. "The bastard shot up my shower."

Booth helped her up. "Come on, Bones. You could use a drink."

"What I need is sleep."

"OK ... sleep. But you're coming with me."

She was too tired to argue. "Where?"

"Back to the house. Parker's in the car. Come on ... nice big bed waiting for you with no killers or FBI in the hall."

She pulled away from him slightly leaning against the wall. She wanted to protest. She wanted to stay home in her nice warm bed, but the FBI would be processing the scene for at least an hour if not two. She wouldn't make it that long. "OK ... but I better put some pants on."

Booth hadn't noticed that she was half dressed, he was just grateful that she was alive.

"Who's going to question him?" she asked pulling her jeans back on really wishing she would have showered first. "I have some questions for him. What's his name? Why did he want to kill me? Who's working for?" She was babbling. "And you need to take him to the hospital, his shoulder is dislocated. He's lucky that's all I did to him."

Perotta nodded for Booth to take her out of there. They would get her statement later.

"I need my bag ... my phone ... and ... and ... and ... something, I need something else."

"Sleep, Bones. You need sleep."

"Yeah, that." She nodded and allowed him to escort her out. She didn't care anymore that he had his arm wrapped around her tightly and it felt good. She didn't care that he was taking her home and was going to watch over her as she slept. He felt so good. It was so nice to be held in his big strong ...

She was out. She didn't make it out of the elevator. Booth woke her up enough to get her to the car but as soon as her head hit the back of the seat she was asleep again. Booth looked at Parker and they smiled. She was safe with them.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**


	15. Chapter 15

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 15

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth napped on and off all night between checking on Parker and looking in on Brennan. He needed sleep too, but he knew it wouldn't come easily or for very long. Rebecca's room was still off limits so he put Brennan in the guest room; he still had the couch. He had given her one of his shirts to sleep in, but she had just fallen on the bed and was out. He slipped off her shoes and covered her with a quilt.

He took the opportunity to watch her sleep when he came to check on her the first time. It was hard to see the cuts and bruises on her face knowing how close she came to dying; she would dismiss the danger too blithely. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever known bar none. It wasn't her features, it wasn't her symmetry, it wasn't her structure that made her beautiful. She had an unaffected manner about her that was captivating. She didn't care about her beauty; she didn't care what other people thought. She knew she was attractive and accepted it as a matter of course. Most women are worried that another woman is more beautiful, but not Bones. She didn't play games, the games that most women played; the games that Booth played. Bones was unique in every way, and that made her all the more beautiful to him.

She looked so peaceful, so calm, so serene as she slept. He hadn't seen her like that in a long time, a very long time. It was before they left for other parts of the world. The gravedigger took a toll on her. The work in general took a toll on her. It was understandable considering the danger, death and misery that they dealt with daily; it took its toll on him as well. But Booth was on a mission; Brennan just asked if she could help not really knowing what the consequences were going to be. It wasn't just the work, Booth regrettably had to own his share of the burden he put on her. She was so strong, so capable, so rational and pragmatic. It was sometimes easy to forget that she was a sensitive, loving, caring person that felt things very deeply even if she went to great lengths to hide that fact from everyone. Booth knew that about her. Booth may have been the only one who did. Angela was her friend and had insight, but Angela didn't get to see Brennan vulnerable. She only showed that to Booth. She used to show it to Booth; she didn't do that anymore. How could he have taken that away from her?

The last time - the most intense time - was several weeks ago and he blew it. He so wished he could live that night over again; or the night a year ago when he wanted to _take-a-chance_. "I'm the gambler." Bah. How would any self-respecting woman react to that? He didn't go to Sweets' office that night with the intention of trying to push their relationship to the next level. It just happened. He wasn't prepared. She wasn't ready, he knew that. So what possessed him? Was it her categorical denial that they were in love? Or was it nearly a year of re-dreaming Booth-and-Bren-having-a-baby that convinced him to say something? Or was it Sweets' challenge? Or was it the feeling that she was slipping away from him? Maybe it was a little of all of that. Whatever prompted it, it was poorly executed and she was right to turn him down. She was wrong to walk away from their partnership a month later, but Booth had a hand in that too. He could have stopped it. He should have. They should have gone to a tropical island for two weeks or a month or a year and hashed it all out. They should have gone together.

So where did they stand now? Booth was thinking about leaving the FBI, what would become of their partnership, their friendship if he did? What if he didn't quit and they continued to work together, how would that change now that they had both expressed a wish for more and there was nothing standing in their way? How could he tell her about Hannah and make it independent of Parker? How could he not address that raining night? He had claimed Hannah was real. He knew it wasn't true as the words left his mouth, but her confession surprised him, shocked him, scared him. He never would have expected her to say anything like that to him ever. It was why he moved on. It was how he moved on. A wedge had been driven between them. It was partially his fault but regardless, he wanted it gone. Would she meet him for any part of that way?

The most important thing for him to figure out was what he wanted and what he could reasonably expect to have. He had already lost Hannah because of his fulltime fatherhood responsibilities. It wasn't a great loss, but she had a point. She didn't get involved with a fulltime father. And when his status changed, she needed to reevaluate. He wasn't sorry she was gone which proved how much love he had for her. Could he expect that Brennan would want to get involved with him as a full time father? Were they past that? Maybe they didn't need to go all in right away. What would be best?

If he could really have what he wanted, he would like to rewind the clock back to before Sweets' book, before his brain tumor issue. He would like to rewind it all the way back to the beginning. What if he hadn't done what Caroline told him to do? What if he hadn't fired Brennan? Then she never would have suggested sex, he wouldn't have confessed his gambling issue and she never would have refused him. Maybe without all that animosity between them they could have come to a different understanding after all these years. If he had only been honest with himself seven years earlier, there might have been a different outcome. But that was magical thinking. He needed to deal with what was right in front of him.

Brennan was right in front of him. He wouldn't have her in any other place. He had never stopped loving her, as hard as he tried. He adapted when she refused him, but it didn't change his feelings. He loved her. The question was now, had his refusal done what Cam warned him it would. Would Brennan die of loneliness before she ever trusted anyone - particularly him - again? Or could they start taking steps toward something more, something better, something eternal. Baby steps were fine. He just wanted them back the way they were with a different agenda on the table.

She stirred in her sleep and rolled onto her side. The light from the hall cast a soft light across her face. He crept over to her and squatted down next to the bed. He brushes some hair back. "Trust me, Bones" he said softly. "I won't let you down ... never again." He kissed her softly on the forehead and crept out silently as not to wake her.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan woke not knowing where she was. She hated that feeling. Every muscle in her body ached and the back of her head hurt. She sat up slowly and felt the injury trying to remember how she got it. It took her a moment of concentrated effort to remember. When it came back, it came flooding back from the explosion right on through to defending herself from a killer. She was actually quite impressed with herself about that. She still didn't know where she was.

She stood up slowly testing the strength in her legs. She wouldn't be running a marathon anytime soon, but she could maneuver under her own power. She made it to the door; it had been left ajar. A dim light came from one direction of the hallway. She went toward it. The hallway opened on to Rebecca's living room. Booth was on the couch sleeping. She remembered. She remembered Booth taking charge of her, getting her out of her apartment, into the SUV and then into bed though that part was a bit hazy. She remembered feeling safe in his arms; safe for the first time in a very, very long time.

His sleep was not peaceful. She could see that he was in a deep REM sleep but it was clear that his dreams were closer to nightmares. Booth had seen so much horror in his life it was sad to think that his dreams replayed those horrors for him nightly. It didn't seem fair to her; if anyone deserved some peace in the night it was Booth. He was a good man, a descent man. She had never known anyone like him nor did she expect she ever would.

She looked at him thinking about their history and tried to imagine what a future would look like for them. Six weeks ago she told him that she wanted more with him and regretted the choice she had made a year ago. She had no expectation that he would end his relationship with Hannah, but now that he had, should she expect anything? Would she be his consolation prize? Why did he have to use that expression? She was new to relationships and didn't like the idea that mates were any kind of prize. Although anthropologically speaking, human and animals vied for mates and there were definite winners and losers, so dubbing the female won as a prize was understandable if archaic and misogynistic.

So what was next for them, or wouldn't there be a next. Hannah was gone, not that Booth had told her that. Maybe it was too painful for him to talk about. He might choose to change his job so he could spend more time with Parker. Their partnership would come to a natural end then. Without the job to bind them, would they slowly drift out of each other's lives? But then there were the looks, the soul searching gazes into her eyes that did make her feel like he was touching her all over. There were those special smiles that he saved only for her that he had turned back on in the past few days. He was touching her again, at the small of her back, her arm, her shoulders, her hand. It was familiar, it was comforting, but it was confusing. But it was pointless for her to speculate. In the past she had always asked Booth about some interpersonal anomaly. She would have to do that again.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth woke with a start. He didn't see her standing there.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you?"

Booth turned toward the direction of her voice. "Bones? What are you doing up? What time is it?"

"It's early yet." She stepped further into the living room. "Just after four."

He sat up. "Are you cold? Come sit over here." He pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and opened it up for her. She sat down at the end and he tucked the blanket around her. "Do you want some coffee? Water? Are you hungry?"

"No, no thank you." She hesitated a moment. "I'm confused."

"About what?"

"You."

"Me?" He should never be surprised by a Bones statement or direct question, but sometimes she just came out of left field, or sent a line drive up the middle that he wasn't prepared for.

She needed to go a different path. "I'm sorry that your relationship with Hannah ended."

"How did you ... ?"

"She came to see me. Yesterday I think, but the timeline of the last few days is a bit hazy."

"It will happen when you don't sleep."

"Yes. Anyway I'm sorry."

He nodded. "I would have told you, but it happened before you told me that Rebecca was murdered. After that it didn't seem important."

"Are you OK?"

"With Hannah leaving?" He wasn't prepared to have this discussion. He still didn't know how he could tell Brennan what he was thinking and make her understand. He stuck with the truth. "Yes, I am."

"It seems rather harsh considering all that you are going through right now."

"No, not at all. She was not prepared to be with a full time father and she was not prepared to be a step-mother. We could have worked it out but I suppose neither of us wanted to put in that much effort. It's better that she leave now, rather than a few weeks or months from now."

"I'm not sure I understand that logic."

Booth thought he had to try to say the next part knowing that it would open up a can of worms and ultimately make him look bad. "The truth was Hannah and I were never going to make it long term, even if this other stuff didn't happened."

"You loved her."

"I did. I thought it could be that kind of love, the kind that lasts. But we weren't going to make a serious commitment to each other. That was becoming clear for the past month or more. We were at two different places in our lives looking for different things in a relationship." That was true, it wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie.

Brennan shook her head. This love thing was very nebulous. The word itself was so over used to the point of having little meaning. "It appeared as if you were very committed."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sure I gave that impression. I'm sorry about that." That impression he gave was for Brennan and was out of spite. "Look, let's not talk about Hannah, OK?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you more pain."

"No, it's not that. I'll miss her, sure. But it was as much my decision as hers and I am OK with it. There are other people in my life that I would be devastated if I lost." His eyes locked with hers. "You, for example." He reached across the back of the couch, slid his finger down her jaw line and let his hand come to rest on her shoulder.

Brennan became uncomfortable with his touch and his look. "You shouldn't say things like that to me. You shouldn't touch me the way you have been or look at me that way." She pulled away from him and looked down.

"Say what things? How do I touch you? How do I look at you?"

She glanced back over at him. "Like you used to ... before. It confuses me."

"Before when?" Booth wasn't trying to be obtuse; he didn't understand what she was talking about. He didn't see how his actions toward her had changed. He never occurred to him that he had treated her any differently at all. Of course he hadn't thought about it much.

Parker called from his bedroom. "Dad?"

Booth was sorry for the interruption, but excused himself to go check on his son.

Brennan was grateful. The setting was too intimate, it was too intense. She stayed seated for a few minutes. It didn't seem that Booth was coming back. Parker must have had a bad dream. She wanted to leave, but it was so early. A couple more hours of sleep would do her a world of good but if she stayed there she wouldn't get it. She called the lab. Cam was there working on the autopsy of Ephraim Cohen. She had heard about what happened at Brennan's apartment and suggested that she get some more sleep. There was nothing more that Brennan could do at the lab. Brennan disagreed. She would call a cab to take her back to her apartment so she could shower and change and be back at the lab in less than an hour. She was on the phone with the cab company when Booth returned.

"Where are you going?" She told him. "Do you really have to go now?"

"Yes." She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you." She wanted to be more specific. That she was grateful for more than the actions he took on her behalf. She was grateful to have him care. "I should go."

"I want to talk more," he said tentatively. "Don't you think we need to talk about ..."

"Yes, I suppose we do, but we are in the middle of a case, three cases actually and you still have to bury Rebecca and Parker needs you." She moved toward the door.

He took her hand. "Tell me we will finish this discussion."

"I expect that this will not be the last time we talk about this, unless you want it to be."

"I don't, do you?"

She shook her head. Her taxi pulled up. She slipped on her hand out of his and left quickly.

Booth watched her go vowing that the next time they spoke he would be prepared and would tell her everything from his heart. She would need to understand.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: **Circling ever closer, our heroes are almost there. There is a bit of a mess to clean up first, but it won't be long now.


	16. Chapter 16

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 15

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Cam and Brennan worked independently for the first several hours on the Ephraim Cohen autopsy. Cam determined that the tox screen from the coroner indicated a BAC of .15 was not correct. In fact there was no alcohol at all to be found. However, there were trace elements of other barbiturates in his system in levels that would have impaired his ability to drive. Brennan studied the X-rays and determined that he was physically assaulted prior to death. He suffered injuries on his head, shoulder and lower back. There were also defensive wounds on his arms. There were also signs that he had been restrained. The autopsy report was clearly forged which opened up more questions.

Brennan brought Cam her results. They talked over what each had found. Brennan was going to take what they had to the FBI hoping that it might facilitate the interview of the man who tried to kill her.

Brennan was about to leave when she turned to Cam and asked, "It is possible to love two people at the same time?"

Cam was naturally taken aback and was too sleep deprived to give a good response. "Yes," she was all said.

"I don't understand."

"I don't either." Cam took pity on Brennan. "The truth of the matter is that there are all kinds of love. So sure it's possible to love two people at the same time."

"I am referring to love between two people who are engaged in a sexual relationship."

"Ah, well ... that's your problem right there. Sex does not prove love and more often than not, love has little to do with sex."

"Booth believes that when two people make love that they break the laws of physics and become one."

"Booth is romantic like that," she dismissed.

"You believe Booth is romantic?"

"Hearts and flowers all the way, baby."

"Do you still love Booth?"

"Excuse me?"

"You and Booth were involved in a sexual relationship, at two separate times in your life, should I not assume that you were in love during one or both periods?"

"No, you shouldn't assume that; at least not that kind of love - the in love kind. Booth and I were colleagues. We had fun together. We laughed and drank and enjoyed watching football or baseball or hockey. Yes our relationship was sexual, but there was never a time when either of us thought that ours was a relationship that would last. It was casual and that was all either of us was looking for - at that - at those times."

"You see, I understand that kind of relationship. It makes sense to me. You were social companions and sexual partners, but there was no pressure for declarations of love or the need of a fifty year commitment."

"Fifty years?" she exclaimed. "No, nothing like that. It's not what people - in our society - hope for ... typically. We were just ... I don't know ... biding our time until the real thing came along." Cam smiled at Brennan. "Dr. Brennan ... Can I call you Temperance if we are going to continue to discuss my sex life?"

"Of course."

"What do you really want to know, Temperance? Do you want to know if Booth could love you and Hannah at the same time?"

"Yes."

Cam was not used to being brutally honest, but maybe that's exactly what Brennan needed, Booth sure wouldn't be. "I have known Booth for years; seen him at his best and worst - some pretty bad worst. I consider him a very good friend and yes, to answer your earlier question, I do love him - as a friend. I have seen you two dance around each other for four years. I was surprised when you two went your separate ways and more surprised that you can work together again, particularly with the Hannah factor. I know how Booth felt about you. He told me. I don't know much about his relationship with Hannah, but I can tell you this: Hannah is easy to love. You are not, you are a challenge every step of the way. Hannah wanted him, you did not. You can't expect a man to keep knocking at a door that goes unanswered. However, I believe that Booth loves you profoundly, more profoundly than even he knows and nothing will ever change that. Only time will tell how his love Hannah will play out."

"She is gone."

"Gone? Hannah is gone? Did she leave or he let her go."

"I don't understand the difference."

"Is he broken hearted?"

"Metaphorically speaking I would say that he's not broken hearted. He seems disappointed, but OK. He said it was coming for a month or more before she left."

"Then you have your answer."

"I don't understand."

"Dr. Brennan, Temperance, when you decided to go to Maluku, Booth decided to go to Afghanistan. He couldn't be here without you. Booth came home without her to be with you again - regardless of the excuse he gave. Now that she is gone, he is fine with it. I think that says something. I think you have your answer."

Brennan considered her evidence. Maybe it did say something, maybe it was circumstantial. "Thank you Dr. Saroyan. Cam," she corrected.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Are you in love with Booth?"

"I believe that I am."

"If you love him, really love him, then you owe it to him and to yourself to try to make it work. Don't worry about all the other stuff; it just gets in the way. It doesn't have to be for fifty years, just let it happen and see where it takes you. The timing may be a little too soon, but don't wait too long."

Brennan nodded to indicate that she would take Cam's recommendation under advisement.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth stepped into the observation room. He wouldn't be allowed to participate in the interrogation, but he wanted to be there to watch. Sweets was already there.

"Agent Booth, how are you?"

"Fine." Booth didn't want to talk to him. It would get all touchy feeling and Booth wanted to pay attention to what was happening in the other room.

"How's Parker doing? Is he showing any signs of -."

"Parker is fine," Booth cut him off. "I haven't told him that Rebecca was murdered yet."

"That could be a very difficult conversation. If you want to talk about how best to approach the subject I would be happy to help."

"Thanks."

"I understand the memorial service has been moved to tomorrow morning."

"Sweets, trying to listen here."

"He lawyered up, he won't say anything. I pulled the jacket on this guy. His name is Jeff Geoffreys. Original, right?"

Booth took the file from Sweets and started reading. "He's a good catch. A real bad guy."

"You going to give Dr. Brennan the credit?" Sweets grinned knowing how Booth's pride would be piqued because Brennan was able to take a career criminal down without his help.

"We have him dead to rights for attempted murder on Bones, but making the murder charges stick for Rebecca, Cohen and the two FBI techs in the car bombing will be a bit tricky without a confession."

An agent came into the room to say that Geoffreys lawyer was there. He was taken to another room for a private consultation. Sweets and Booth were left alone. Booth continued to read the file.

"So what are you thinking about your fulltime parenting situation?"

"Parker is my son, Sweets. Whatever it takes."

"Admirable." Sweets wanted to bring up what Brennan had told him about quitting the FBI but didn't want to break her confidence. "Have you considered how your time commitment to your son might interfere with you duties as a field agent and vice versa?"

Booth was reading, but was listening to everything Sweets said. "What? Yes, I know ... I haven't made a decision yet."

Booth headed out of the observation room toward his office.

Sweets followed. "Many agents here at the FBI as well as local cops and doctors and other professionals are able to maintain a family and a career."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Probably easier in two parent families though."

"True, True." Sweets stood in front of Booth's desk ignoring the fact that Booth was trying to ignore him. "Which brings up a very good question, how is Hannah adjusting?"

Booth put down the file. "Why? What have you heard?"

"Nothing, just asking a question. Your relationship is new. You are still trying to figure out how you fit into each other's lives. She is very career driven."

"Hannah's gone, Sweets." Booth picked the file back up.

"Oh ... Oh ... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, I'm not."

"I don't believe that's true."

"Look she showed her true colors. When the shit came down; she was ducking for cover to save her own ass."

"You sound angry. Very healthy ... maybe slightly misdirected."

"I'm not - I'm not ... I'm not angry."

"OK."

"Look, Sweets I am going to tell you 'cause I know you will never give up until you find out; like a damn dog with a bone. Hannah couldn't handle the idea of me being a fulltime father and what affect that would have on her life and our ... our relationship. She was surprised that I would consider it at all. That showed how little she knew me. Right? So we agreed to go our separate ways. It would have happened eventually anyway."

"Eventually? Why do you say that?"

Just then Charlie stuck his head in Booth door. "You need to get in there. Geoffreys' lawyer bailed on him; told him to get a public defender. Geoffreys is giving up everything, everyone - we got Senator Huff and Kirkland Construction. He will probably take credit for the Lindberg baby and Jimmy Hoffa."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth blew past Sweets and flew into the observation room. Brennan was already there and watching.

Over the next two hours, Geoffreys claimed that the Senator Huff through her son Ken had hired him to ensure that Lacey Carroll's finding never went public. It was about the bridge project but that was just the tip of the iceberg. It was Ephraim Cohen inquires that brought it to the Senator's attention. Geoffreys was hired to eliminate Cohen and find Carroll's work and eliminating her as well. By then Carroll had already been in contact with Rebecca. Geoffreys approached Rebecca to get her to back off and give up Carroll. He threatened Parker and Rebecca fought back. He didn't intend to kill her originally. She was shoved into a pillar in the garage during the struggle. She fell and blacked out. A co-worker entered the garage. Geoffreys slipped out when the paramedics came. He watched her, saw that she was not taken to the hospital until the next morning. Then it was a simple matter of making sure she didn't wake up.

Booth nearly lost it. Geoffreys was so casual, so blasé about killing Rebecca that he wanted to tear though the glass and strangle him. Sweets watched as Booth tensed, balled up his fists and tried to keep it together. Geoffreys said something crude about Rebecca and Booth lurched toward the door. Brennan put her hand on his shoulder and Booth stepped back immediately. His fists unclenched. Brennan slid her hand down his arm and let it rest on his forearm for the next part of the interview.

Geoffreys was crowing about his varied methods of killing: rigged car accident, accidental head injury finished with a little push over the top by a big shot of morphine, then the explosion in the car. That was his favorite.

"I would have just smothered the doc in her sleep," he stated. "But the bitch was up. So I had to shoot her."

Brennan's hand gripped Booth's arm; he covered it with his other hand. Sweets watched. They were more fascinating than any psychotic ramblings of a gun for hire.

Geoffreys went on to say that George Kirkland was not involved as far as he knew. It was Senator Huff and Ken Kirkland, the younger son/brother. Geoffreys had recorded phone conversations and could show deposits received that tracked back to Ken Kirkland. He didn't have all the details of what they were trying to cover up. He didn't care. He got paid either way. But the Bridge project was definitely a factor.

Brennan looked at Booth. "What is going to go wrong?" she asked.

He turned to her. "What do you mean? He's giving us everything."

"It's too easy. Why would he do that? He's a professional killer. He's going to slip through on a technicality. His confession won't hold up in court. Something will go wrong."

"Bones, don't worry. Everything has been by the book. This will all stick. If nothing else, we'll get him for attempted murder."

"That's not good enough. He killed her, Booth. He killed Rebecca without giving it a second thought."

"I know. ... He won't get away with it. None of them will."

"We need to get Senator Huff and Ken Kirkland. What if Geoffreys gets killed in jail? We need to arrest them before they are able to hide their footprints."

"Cover their tracks, Bones." He felt the same desperation that she did but trusted the system. "Nothing is going to happen to this guy. He will be in protective custody; we'll get him deposed on video. We have Lacey Carroll and whatever else we need to dig up from the other victims." Booth lost his voice for a moment. Rebecca was one of the victims. "We will take down Huff and Kirkland, Bones. We will. Trust me."

"I'm going back to the lab. We are processing the Prius to see if the FBI techs missed anything. I want not mistakes; we need to trace it back to Geoffreys. And Cohen and Rebecca."

"Bones, Bones ... don't worry. We got him. We got them. We got them all."

"No," she said emphatically. "The gravedigger nearly walked. I won't let that happen again. His confession is only a start. We will get all the physical evidence to seal his fate as well as Senator Huff and her son."

She turned on her heel and left.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth and Sweets exchanged glances.

"A very passionate woman," Sweets observed. "You're lucky to have her in your corner."

"Alright, there it is," Booth turned to him. He was not about to have Sweets digging around trying to get between Booth and Brennan. "What? What do you want to know, Sweets? What do you want to hear?"

"Whatever you'd like to tell me."

"I don't want to tell you anything."

"Then let me observe. You and Dr. Brennan have been estranged since your return."

"Estranged? I see her nearly every day."

"Since you have been back, I have observed that you minimize her importance in a case."

"I do not."

"You don't refer to her as your partner any more. She is now an associate."

Booth shook his head.

"I have observed you rolling your eyes or making a face when she is going on about some bit of scientific minutia."

"Making a face? What am I, four?"

"I have observed that you spend very little time at the lab."

"What difference does that make?"

"And finally, you don't have any physical contact with Dr. Brennan."

"What are you talking about?"

"In the past you would direct her out of the room with your hand in the small of her back, now you go out in front of her."

"You need to get cable if that's what you are picking up."

"Those were my observations, until right now. What I just witnessed between you more in keeping with the Old Booth and Brennan before the separation." Booth shook his head. "What I'm wondering is, when did this revert back to how it was and did it have anything to do with Hannah's departure?"

"Aw, come on Sweets, do we really have to do this?"

"I believe it would be beneficial."

"To you maybe and your _**Booth and Brennan: The Sequel**_." He fixed him with a stare that should have gotten Sweets to back down. It didn't. "Don't I need an appointment or something?"

"I'm free right now."

"Alright fine. Hannah and I weren't working out. We had different goals. I was ready to settle down and start a family for real this time and she was focused on her career. We parted, end of story. Maybe I was a little off with Bones since we got back. It was weird, you know, with Hannah here."

"I wasn't asking about Hannah. I was asking about Dr. Brennan. What happened between the two of you while you were gone?"

Booth laughed, snorted really. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We separated at the airport and I didn't hear from her again until we came back to help Cam. Not a call, an email, not a messenger pigeon."

"That must've hurt."

"Yeah, thanks for bringing it up."

Booth was holding something back. Sweets could tell. "What else aren't you telling me?"

"There's a list."

"You know what I mean, something else happened between you and Dr. Brennan."

Booth almost told him but changed his mind. "Nothing."

"You still have feelings for Dr. Brennan," Sweets stated. "Did that affect your relationship with Hannah?"

"No," he said quickly. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Come on Booth, tell me what happened?"

"She told me she changed her mind. That she made a mistake."

Sweets had to guess that Booth meant Brennan and that they had talked about a relationship sometime between his book and their separation. And then Brennan admitted that she made a mistake. This was huge.

"How did you feel about that?"

"Oh shut up with that shrink talk." He ran his hands through his hair. "I felt like an ass. She was finally ready to give us a chance and I'm involved with another woman in a relationship headed south."

"What did you say to her?"

"That I loved Hannah. That she was not a consolation prize."

"Wow. That is pretty definitive."

"Ya think."

"Was it true?"

"How the hell do I know? I thought I loved Hannah. I thought we were working toward a something. It wasn't perfect but I was compromising, ya know? But now that she is gone, I can see that it would never have worked."

"And Dr. Brennan?"

Booth shook his head. "I never expected her to change her mind. Never. I would have bet my life on it."

"Made you mad."

"Yes, No ... It wasn't fair to either of us."

"Honestly Booth, were you ready to start a relationship with Dr. Brennan a year ago?"

"She wasn't with me."

"That's not what I asked."

"Maybe, I don't know. I would have tried. I would have risked it."

"The gambler taking a risk."

"Hey, that was your idea."

Sweets shook his head. "You won't believe this now - or possibly ever, but if you had made that confession in my office I could have helped you two through that discussion and I guarantee you would have had a different outcome."

"Yeah, that's great Sweets. But we can't turn back time. What do I do now?"

"The old standby - honest communication."

"You went to college for this? Thanks for nothing." Booth walked out.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth made it to the lab in record time. He found Brennan in her office.

"Hey," he said tentatively.

"Hi, I'm afraid I don't have anything new for you yet."

"That's not why I'm here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I thought we could ... you know ... maybe ... we could ... go get some lunch. I'm starving." That was not what he came there for, but it would be a start.

She thought for a moment. "I could eat."

She went to pull her coat off the hanger and Booth took it from her to help her on with it. Booth noticed - it felt strange yet familiar. She pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and it slipped down. Booth pulled it back up secured it. He let his hand rest for a moment on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. He noticed that too - very familiar but like a memory. He stepped back to allow her to exit in front of him, reactively he put his hand at the small of her back. _Well, I'll be damned_, Booth thought. He was treating her differently - rather he had been treating her differently. Now it was back to the way it should always have been. Is that what Brennan meant when she said he shouldn't touch her, look at her like that? Was it too personal? But that was what he wanted. It's what she wanted.

"Ready?" she asked pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I am. I'm more than ready."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: **Well maybe some of that advice is starting to sink in. Phew! I guess I can cancel my order for the ton of bricks.


	17. Chapter 17

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 17

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth and Brennan went to the diner for lunch, a late lunch - very late, almost dinner. It was probably the first time in months that they went there together and did not expect anyone else. He ordered a burger, she got a salad; they split fries. He only peppered her half and she put ketchup on his side. Just like old times.

The conversation was a little stiff. They talked about the cases they were working. Brennan seemed to have a lot to share. Booth had a lot of questions. It was all very familiar. But there was a huge elephant in the room, or was that a Mastodon?

"Bones, let's not … Let's not talk about work ... right now." He flashed a tentative smile.

"Oh." She looked down at her plate. "How's Parker?"

Another safe subject but at least it was personal. Booth nodded. "I think he's OK. There was only a half day at school today so he went to his friends Sylvia and Dylan."

"He went to school?"

"No, not yet. He went over this afternoon. I think it is good for him to get out with his friends. I'll pick him up in around seven. Think we'll do pizza tonight. Do you want to join us?"

"Thank you, but I'm still pretty tired." She glanced away. He was doing that intense eye contact thing again and she was feeling uncomfortable. "You know Booth, you are going to have to learn to cook. You can't live on take out."

"I know. I know. I'll have to pick that battle next week." He grinned. There was an awkward silence then Booth said, "I'm not sure how I'm going to tell him that his mother was murdered."

Brennan just nodded. She had some experience in that area - not the telling part, the hearing part. "It will help if you can also tell him that everyone involved was arrested."

"Agreed." Booth didn't want to talk about the case. He started to take a bite from his burger, but he really wasn't hungry. "Wanted to say thank you again for the other night. You were great with him."

"Not really ... I just told him the truth."

"He needed that." He fixed his eyes on hers. "We all need some truth."

She broke eye contact to play with the lettuce in her bowl. "Thank you for ... for last night," she glanced up at him quickly. She didn't want to bring up last night or given an opening to finish that conversation. Would Sweets call that a Freudian Slip? "You took care of me and I needed that."

His lips pulled into a sweet smile and his eyes sparkled. There were so many ways he could respond to that but he didn't want to push too hard. She had opened the door; he needed to walk through. "I wanted to." There was a stiff silence again. "I want ... I think ... I'd like to ...," Booth stammered. "Wow this is so hard. It never used to be hard."

"Do you want to continue our conversation from this morning?"

"Yes, very much. Seems like a life time ago." He leaned toward her and attempted to keep his voice down. "I'm sorry if I confuse you. I don't mean to."

"I wasn't suggesting that you were confusing, just my reactions to you were confusing. I found myself being drawn to you in ways that ... that would've been inappropriate given your stated feelings for Hannah."

"Right, Hannah." He leaned back. This was all such a mess. Where could he start? "Bones, look, we can tiptoe around this and hope that maybe we might hit the right words at the right time, but the truth is I don't want to wait, and I don't tiptoe. I know we have a lot to work through. I've made some mistakes and said some things that hurt you. You've said and done some things that hurt me, but I don't believe that was our intention. I think we were just ... I don't know ... scared? It is too important to screw up."

"Booth."

"I think we just need ... honest communication." He couldn't believe he was using Sweets' words. "I know that this is exactly the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong words - wrong everything. The only thing that is not wrong is us - you and me together. That's how it should always be."

"Booth, I agree that there are amends to be made for past acts that will aid in reconciling our partnership, but any discussion of a different relationship between us, if we are to have one, is too premature at this time."

"I don't believe that."

"You know that I'm correct."

"Bones, please ... don't shut me out again."

"I'm not. I'm suggesting that we deal with what is urgent."

"This is urgent." He took her hand.

"Arresting the senator is urgent. Finding justice for Rebecca is urgent." She slipped her hand away. "Parker is urgent."

"Bones ..."

Booth's cell vibrated on the table. He was about to hit ignore.

"That might be important, Booth."

Booth reluctantly answered it. "Booth ... where? ... Keep him there we're on our way ... Thanks man." He stood and pulled some money from his pocket and tossed it on the table. "That was a CI I had watching George Kirkland. He's getting out of town. We gotta go."

"Geoffreys said he wasn't involved." Brennan remained seated. "That it was the brother and the senator."

"You're going to believe a hit man over my gut? He's into up to his eye teeth. He's the weak link. Let's go put some pressure on him, see if he will break." Booth came around and stood by her chair. "Come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" She allowed him to pull her chair back as she rose.

"We're going to have a little chat with Mr. Kirkland about the family business." He handed her the coat and allowed her to walk out in front of him. The simple polite gestures that used to be so natural were again second nature.

"Booth you're not supposed to be working on this case. You could be suspended."

"I'll risk it." They reached the spot where his SUV was parked. "You wanted more evidence against the senator and Kirkland? We are going to get the other son to flip on them." He opened the passenger side door but stopped her from climbing in. He needed to clarify something first. "Bones, I agree that we have some things to take care of that are ... time sensitive. But I don't agree that we are premature ... in fact we're long overdue. I love you - always have."

"Please don't say that to me."

"Why not?" His heart clenched. "Because you don't ... you don't love me?"

"No, I didn't say that. I have very strong feelings for you." She stumbled over her words. "But I have little faith that that word has a consistent meaning. It seems that it ebbs and flows with a person's mood. I'm only beginning to accept the concept of love as valid and not just a chemical reaction."

"But you are accepting it." His eyes searched hers looking for something - anything.

"Yes."

There it was. That was the flicker of hope that he was looking for. They would work it through. It was only time away. "That's a step in the right direction," he grinned.

A giant step, but for the moment they had some killers to catch.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth and Brennan arrived at George Kirkland's home just as he was driving away.

"Going somewhere, Mr. Kirkland?" Booth said as he approached the car.

"Business meeting in Atlanta. I will be back in a couple of days."

"Why don't you step out of there ... we need to have a little chit-chat."

It was clear that Kirkland was running; one small bag packed and sweating up a storm. It wouldn't take much for the link to break.

Brennan saw his passport sticking out of his breast pocket. She pulled it out and handed it to Booth. "Atlanta must be international."

Booth got in his face. "Kirkland, I don't have time to play with you. I need to pick my son up in an hour, OK? So this is how it's going to go. We have Lacey Carroll who has the proof that you forged the environmental studies to get this project pushed through. We have your hit man; he can't shut up. Should have paid for his lawyer."

"He's not mine. I never hired him. I didn't know anything about that."

"You didn't know that your mother hired a man to intimidate and kill innocent women?"

"No, no ... it was never supposed to happen like that. That Stinton woman was a mistake."

"That Stinton woman is the mother of my son!" Booth blasted him.

"I'm sorry ... She should never have been involved."

"And what about Ephraim Cohen?"

"That was an accident."

"No it wasn't. You know it wasn't. And the car bomb. Did you really think that there wouldn't be collateral damage with a bomb like that? Roger Danvers had a wife and two children. Ben Clifford was getting married in three weeks. Do you know who they are? They were two techs who worked for the FBI. They had nothing to do with your little scheme. They are dead now because you had to put a bomb in Carroll's car."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that," Kirkland protested.

"Tell me ... what was supposed to happen?"

"It's all Lacey's fault. I told her ... I told her to keep her mouth shut. But she wouldn't take the money. They always take the money. I don't know why she didn't."

Perotta and Langostino rolled up on the scene just after Booth got Kirkland talking. Booth would let them take credit for the collar on Kirkland in exchange keeping his name out of the report. He didn't need credit, he need them convicted and sent to jail for the rest of their lives.

"Interesting interview technique," Brennan said with a smile as they drove away before the rest of the FBI team showed up.

"What?"

"I'm late to pick up my son, so talk."

"Worked didn't it?"

"I never had any doubt that you would get the confession."

He smiled at her. "I am late though. Can I drop you at the lab?"

"Home. I think I can sleep now."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Kirkland was brought in for questioning. It didn't take much more to get him to flip on his mother and brother. He even waived his right to counsel hoping for leniency. It seemed that Geoffreys was right. The bridge project was only the tip of the iceberg. There was a history of corruption, bribery and probably murder that led back decades. Every time Kirkland opened his mouth he implicated someone else and re-implicated mommy dearest. The good thing for the FBI and the bad news for Senator Huff was that Kirkland kept very accurate records - a second set of books. He gave them up thinking he was protecting himself. It would take a forensic accountant a day or two to make a case against them, couple that with some recorded conversations with the senator's voice proving that she was not only aware of what was happening, but calling the shots.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

That night after Booth and Parker had cleaned up the dinner dishes, Booth told him about Rebecca.

"Buddy, I have to tell you something about your mom's death."

Parker didn't want to know. He was starting to feel guilty; guilty that he went to school, that he didn't see her the night before she died, that he should have done something that would have saved her life. Booth was prepared for that. He was feeling the same way.

"Parker, there was nothing you could have done." Booth explained all that had happened; from Rebecca trying to help Lacey Carroll and that leading to some very bad people murdering her to keep her from doing the right thing. But his mother did prevent the project from going forward which saved hundreds if not thousands of lives when the bridge fell and an ecosystem. Not only that but it exposed corruption that had been going on for a very long time. Booth left out the details of the physical fight Rebecca and Geoffreys had or that Parker was threatened or that she was killed by an injection of morphine. He could learn all that in the coming years. It wasn't lying, it was selective truth telling.

Parker listened to all that Booth had to say. He asked a few questions. Booth answered as honestly as he could.

"So you caught the people that killed mom?"

"We did," Booth said. It didn't feel quite as victorious as he looked into his mother-less son's eyes. "It won't bring your mom back, but it was what we could do."

Parker thought for a long moment and Booth waited. "Dad, I don't think you should quit the FBI. There are a lot of bad people and if you aren't there who will catch them?"

"There are other agents, buddy."

"Not a good as you and Dr. Bones."

Booth smiled. "No, we are the best, right?"

"Yeah."

"It would mean some late nights, early mornings. I would miss some of your games and I may not be able to pick you up from school every day."

"I know. That's OK. I'm proud of you, Dad."

Booth's heart soared. "I'm so proud of you, buddy." He hugged him hard.

"Dad," the kid squeaked out. "Dad, too tight." Booth loosened his hold on him. "So you will stay ... you will keep catching bad guys?"

"Yeah, for now ... we'll see how it goes, OK?"

"Ok." Parker sat back. There was a burning question at the back of his mind. They had talked about it before, but he wasn't sure if things had changed now that Hannah was gone. "Are we going to live here?"

"I think we should, don't you?"

"All my friends are here and I don't want to change schools. And I like this house. Your apartment is too small."

"It's your house now, Parker. We can stay if you want to."

"Yeah."

That night Booth entered Rebecca's bedroom for the first time. There was almost nothing left in there of hers. Sherry had cleaned it out and packed it all away. Booth sat in the chair looking out the window remembering Rebecca for the bright, beautiful, sexy woman he had known and the loving mother she had become. He grieved for her, for his loss of her and vowed that he would do right by their son. It was all he could do.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The next morning friends, family and colleagues gathered to memorialize Rebecca Stinton. It was a celebration of her life and all that she had given to the world. As poems were read, songs sung, stories retold of how Rebecca had touched the lives of the people there, warrants were issued, and arrests made. Most people at Rebecca's service would never know the part she played in bringing down Senator Huff. In the coming days they would read about another corrupt politician using their position to make money and they would be frustrated and angry and vote for change. They would hear that there were murders ordered, but the victim's names would not be released. But the people closest to Rebecca knew that while her death was senseless they had the cold comfort of knowing that no one else would die at the hands of her murderers.

Sherry came up to Booth during the reception afterward.

"It was a beautiful service, Sherry," Booth started.

"Rebecca was well liked," she said looking over the crowd of people including her husband and children. "I loved my sister, Booth."

"I know you did. I loved her too."

"I want to honor her last wishes."

"Thank you." That was one more weight off Booth's shoulders.

"You're a good man," she said not as reluctantly as Booth would have thought. "You're a good father."

"Thank you."

"Can we please stay in touch? I don't want to lose Parker in my life."

"Of course."

She started to walk away. "You caught the people who did this, right? They will pay for what they have done?"

"Yes."

"Not enough, but it will do," she said. "One more thing, are those Rebecca's ashes?" She nodded to the urn next to a picture of Rebecca. There was some concern that they wouldn't have them in time for the service but it couldn't be changed without telling people the whole story.

"Yes." The Jeffersonian had finished with Rebecca's remains the day before and sent them for cremation. "Yes, they are."

"Good." She forced back the tears which had been fighting to get out all morning. "We leave on Brent's boat at three. You will be joining us, of course."

"Of course."

She nodded slowly and moved away. It would take her sometime to get through the grieving process, but she was a strong woman. Booth really did feel sorry for her. She was alone in a crowded room.

The Jeffersonian crew, Sweets, Max, Jared and Padme were also in attendance to pay their respects and to lend support to both Parker and Booth. Booth watched as Parker sat with them talking. The poor kid was running through a range of emotions, but they were his village. They would help him; help Booth to help him finish growing up without a mother.

Booth caught Brennan's eye. She slipped away from the group to join them.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good ... OK," he corrected. "Thanks for everything, Bones."

"You don't need to keep thanking me."

"Rebecca wanted to have her ashes spread on the ocean. Brent has a boat and will be taking us out this afternoon. It will be Sherry, Brent, Parker and me." He wanted to ask her to come, to be there for him, but it wasn't about him. "We should be back by six. Will you join us for dinner?"

"Oh no ... no ... that's for family, Booth."

"You are family, Bones. It would mean a great deal to me and Parker if you were there."

She smiled. "You can't keep using Parker as an excuse."

"I don't need an excuse to want you to be with me." He took her hand very discretely. "Please?"

She nodded. His hand felt good in hers. It felt natural. It felt right. But Brennan still felt that it was too soon. She had too many unanswered questions. She saw that Booth was looking at her that way again. She searched his eyes - the answers were in there, she just had to know where to look, how to look. Maybe Booth could show her.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: **Wrapping up some loose ends here and a few baby steps for Booth and Brennan. They are not home free yet. One more chapter to go. Stay tuned.


	18. Chapter 18

**In the Blink of An Eye**

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 18

**A/N:** Before we begin this last chapter, I want to thank all the people who read, alerted, favorited (?) and commented. I tried to thank you all personally, but please know that if I didn't, it was still very much appreciated. The response to this little freight train of a story was phenomenal and very humbling. I started this after New Year's Day. First post was 1/5/11 and I had one chapter and a thin idea of where I was going. The murder of Rebecca surprised me as much as it surprised you. I love it when the characters take over the story. So here we are sixteen days, eighteen chapters and over fifty thousand words later and our story is done. Talk about break neck speed. Hey NaNoWriMo ... will see you next year, huh? I apologize again for the lack of Beta. I will find someone and have them fix all the errors and repost sometime in the future in case you want to come back and read this little B&B saga again. Here's to all of you FanFix readers and to the creators, writers, actors, crew and fans (rabid, passive or reluctant) of BONES. My faith has been shaken, but I'm still watching.

Without further ado ...

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The weekend came and went so fast, if you blinked, you missed it. Rebecca's memorial service was Friday morning, the spreading of the ashes in the afternoon. Sherry left shortly thereafter with a promise to come back if anything couldn't be done via mail. Brent, Parker, Booth and Brennan had dinner together that night but it was pretty subdued. Parker looked like the events of the week were finally taking a toll. It was originally Booth's weekend with Parker. He and Hannah planned on taking him snowboarding on Saturday and Sunday. Parker would easily have skipped it, but Booth thought it might be a good bonding time for father and son. Brennan supported that.

There was a moment when Booth entered the room that Hannah booked for them that it really hit him that she was gone. He missed her. He missed her sunny disposition. Nothing ever got her down, she just kept plowing through. Even when they were breaking up, he didn't see any deep sadness or regret. Of course he had none either. They were supposed to be in love; building a life together. They cleared the first hurdle: location. Second hurdle and they didn't make it. She wasn't invested in the outcome or in Booth the whole man. She was focused on the now and assumed that tomorrow would take care of itself. He knew she would be fine. She was resilient. It was something that he admired about her and actually reminded him of Brennan for some odd reason. Brennan was resilient, but no one would ever say her disposition was sunny. Anyway, he missed her, but nothing like what he felt when Brennan left.

Booth and Parker got back from their trip around five on Sunday night. They were exhausted, every muscle in their bodies ached and they had the raccoon sunburn on their faces. It was a good trip. They talked a lot. They were close to start with, but it was important that they discuss their new situation in a safe environment.

Booth checked in with Brennan a couple of times over the weekend but she didn't pick up or return the calls. He called her again around nine on Sunday night; she was still unavailable. Booth was unconcerned. He felt good about the direction they were heading. They were talking, friendly, getting more comfortable with each other at every encounter. Booth was happy to give her a little space; to have a little space for himself. It was going to become part of the routine again; space with good open communication. Still he would have liked to speak with her once over the weekend. She was going to need to be instructed that physical time away did not mean that there should be no contact at all. He could do that.

Parker went go back to school on Monday; Booth took a little more time off. He had to close up his apartment and finalized Rebecca's affairs. Plus he wanted to be around in case Parker wanted to skip school or needed him for any reason.

Monday morning, Booth dropped Parker off at school. When he came back to the house he had a discussion with Maria about what her duties where with Rebecca. He wanted to keep her on with the addition of grocery shopping and covering for his strange work hours. He promised to keep it to a minimum, pay her overtime, and if it became too much they would find another solution. None of that was necessary. Maria was an artist and liked the flexible work hours, could use the extra money and of course she loved Parker. She had been with him since he was four or five.

Booth couldn't help himself; he stopped by the office around ten. He ran into Sweets and was able to get away without dissecting every minute of the weekend. Ran into Caroline and she gave her condolences in a strictly Caroline way. Rebecca was a hell of a woman and if she chose to bear Booth's child then she was a saint.

Booth finally made it to his desk. There were three files left in the center with a note from Brennan.

_Booth –_

_These are just copies, _

_originals with Agent Perotta._

_My plane leaves tomorrow at 9:30AM._

_I'll be at the lab all day._

_Bones_

She signed it 'Bones' that was a good sign. He was sorry that it wasn't 'love Bones' but one step at a time. He checked the files she left. The first two were the cases they pulled last week. The files were complete with the science mumbo jumbo, but Perotta needed to figure out who did it. The last file was for the Jane Doe 896. Brennan must have spent all weekend finding out everything she could about this unidentified woman who got caught up in the events of last week. It was no wonder she hadn't returned any of his calls. When Brennan worked, she was focused. And that was Brennan's work; identifying bodies when they were too badly decomposed for traditional methods. The file was quite thorough. He would start looking in the missing persons reports later, or turn it over to Charlie. Booth needed to learn to delegate.

He checked his watch. He would have enough time to go to the lab to have a cup of coffee with her before his appointment with the lawyer. He would ask her to dinner. This was good. He could take it slowly. Court her, woo her. It could be fun. It was nice to think that she was in his office when he wasn't there; it felt personal. It was nice to know that she knew him well enough to know that he would be in the office that morning even though he was on leave. He reread her note.

Plane?

If Brennan was going somewhere he didn't remember; it couldn't have been very important probably just up to New York for the day. She was often flying up there to meet with her publisher.

Publisher?

Book?

Brennan's new book.

Research in Ireland.

Plane at 9:30AM?

He checked his watch; he was going to be late to the lawyers.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan had indeed worked all weekend; that was her M.O. when she had a lot on her mind. She knew Booth would want to press forward into some kind of relationship. She could hold him off only so much and then a decision had to be made. She wasn't ready to push forward, but she didn't want to fall back. She still had nagging concerns. In the past she would ask Booth to clarify an issue of interpersonal relations but this time Booth was the subject. Maybe she should ask him this time too but for a different reason; Booth was the only one who had the answers.

The truth was that there was a big part of Brennan that just wanted to take Cam's advice: _If you love him, really love him, then you owe it to him and to yourself to try to make it work. Don't worry about all the other stuff; it just gets in the way. It doesn't have to be for fifty years, just let it happen and see where it takes you. The timing may be a little too soon, but don't wait too long._

It was that last part that Brennan was stuck on; where was the line between _too soon_ and _too long_? That day seemed like too soon. A week or two of time apart might still be too soon. It could give them some perspective and open better lines of communication which would lead to better conclusions, but it could be too long. She still didn't know exactly what she wanted clarified; the events were all mixed up and colored by her feelings. This was exactly why she didn't like the soft sciences - the answers were subjective, even her own answers changed over time.

Hannah's words of advice, though probably said sarcastically were also distracting her: _Seeley loves you. You love him. Go make babies and have a life together_. As simple as that sounded, Brennan didn't think that it would be that simple.

She checked her watch. She would need to call Booth. He would want to see her before she left and she was running out of time.

She called his cell. His voice-mail picked up. "Booth, I would like to see you before I depart. Please call me so we can coordinate our schedules."

"Good to know you still have my number."

Brennan looked up to see a very annoyed Booth standing in her doorway.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"You got my note," she stated.

"I did." He stepped in. His eyes were dark and angry. "But what if I didn't, would you have told me where you were going, what you were doing, when you would be back? Or would you have gotten on a plane and expected me to twiddle my thumbs until you deigned to return?"

"You just heard me leave you a message to find time to meet. All those questions that you had would have been answered at that time."

"You're running away again, Bones. Why?"

"I am not running away." She wanted to defend her decision to leave last time but she had accepted that she had run away. "I'm going to do research for my new book. This was in the works before last week."

"A lot has changed in a week."

"Yes it has ... I need time to process all that has happened. As do you."

"So you admit you're running away."

"I admit that I'm going to do research and if that time away allows me to gain some perspective then I am killing two fowl-."

"Two birds with one stone," he cut her off. "I think you should talk to me. I think time away, time to think, is time to set your mind to something without the benefit of all the facts."

"There are no facts, Booth. I'm not working from hard evidence. All talking to you will do will allow you to push your own agenda. It won't afford me clarity."

He stepped toward her. "Bones, talk to me."

She searched his face. She was drawn to him, there was no doubt. She took a leap of faith. "Explain to me how love works, because I don't understand it."

Booth smiled and stepped toward her. "Bones, philosophers, poets, artists, musicians, scientists and Joe Blow from Kokomo have been asking those same questions for thousands of years. It's the great mystery of life. It's why we are here: to find love, to give love, to make love."

She stepped back. She found that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to think clearly the closer he was to her physically. "How does it work that one day it is intense and all consuming and the next it is but a thin memory?"

Booth didn't have an answer at the ready for that.

"How does it get transferred from one person to the next? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Or has western civilization labeled sexual desire as love to make it more palatable to society? Is the illusion of love necessary for the survival of the species? Or is love real?"

"Whoa! Slow down there, Bones. Those questions don't have answers or at least not answers that apply in all situations. Love is personal. Everyone experiences it in their own way."

"Then how do I get these answers?"

"You just have to ... well, you have to live and learn like the rest of us. Your super brain will not help you in matters of the heart. But you can't do it alone."

"I don't like it," she stated.

"You will, you just need to open yourself up to it." He moved closer to her. "Bones, trust me."

She started shaking her head. Hot tears were forming in her eyes.

"What? Talk to me?" he pleaded.

"How can I trust you? You were the only person in the world that I trusted. The only one I believed in. The only one who believed in me. I wanted nothing more than your honesty and constancy. I didn't want to hurt you, but I did and I'm sorry. But how can I believe in love, in your love, when seven days ago you were in love with someone else?"

Booth knew that he would have to explain how that worked but he had no idea how to start.

"A year ago we were partners and friends who trusted each other implicitly," Brennan went on. "One night you changed that. With no warning, you wanted to end our partnership to advance this other agenda claiming that you knew what our future held and I should trust you."

"No, No ... that's not how it happened ... It's not so simple, Bones."

"I wasn't prepared. I wasn't ready. I didn't believe that such a change in the dynamics of our partnership would end well. I refused you. Then you left and transferred that love to someone else. You returned with the new object of your affection and introduced that into our partnership, our friendship effectively ending it. Your honesty and constancy were gone. You stated on many occasions that you were in love; that you were happy in this new relationship. The loss of our bond seemed to have no affect on you. Then one day this new person was gone, and you transferred your love back to me. How am I not supposed to experience love as ephemeral, transitory, fleeting? How do I trust love? How do I trust you?"

Booth didn't have any of those answers. He sunk down onto the couch which brought Brennan out from behind her desk to join him. He mumbled something.

"I didn't hear you," she said gently.

"You don't transfer love." He looked over at her. "I didn't transfer my love for you to anyone else. That's not how love works. It might look like that, but that's not what happens."

"Explain it to me."

He searched her eyes hoping to find the words she needed to hear. "Love is not rational. Love can be mean and spiteful and angry. Love can make you do stupid things, say stupid things."

Brennan looked disappointed.

"Love can also lift you up higher then you have ever been. Love can bring you joy."

"I do believe that," Brennan said. She reached over to take his hand. "I want to believe that. I want to experience the love you tell me exists." She pressed his hand which sent a wave of desire through her body. She slipped her hand away. "But I don't know how I will survive if we enter into this new relationship and you again turn away from me."

Booth leaned back. He felt chastised. How could he defend his position? She was right. From her perspective Booth was not constant. He needed her to understand from his point of view.

"That night ... that night after Sweets ... I wasn't prepared to talk to you, but somehow it felt like I should try. I had kept quiet for so long just looking for a sign from you that said you felt the same way. The way we were going, you would never have changed a thing."

"I was content with our partnership and surrogate relationship."

"I wasn't. I wanted more from you, from us. I still do." He pushed his hand through his hair. "I said the wrong things. I gave you the wrong evidence. I didn't explain myself well. You know me, I do that. But your no was final. Your no was logical and rational. Your no told me that you had considered everything I was suggesting and had decided that you didn't want it. There was no argument to be made. I gambled and lost."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Was I right? Had you thought about a relationship with me that was beyond our partnership?"

"Yes," she owned. "Often, but I couldn't see it ending well for either of us. Mostly for you. As I said that night, I was protecting you."

He nodded. "I was hurt. But you know what hurt me far more than your rejection. You left me. You left me and for seven months you made no attempt to contact me."

"Booth -."

"I know why you went to Maluku. I know how much the Gravedigger and the steady stream of death and misery that we trade in everyday had affected you. I understand that you had to step back from it. But I will never understand how you could walk away from me and give me nothing but dead silence. Why did you do that, Bones? Why did you go and not make any attempt to contact me? Were you trying to forget me?"

"No, Booth. No, I thought about you every day, many times a day. You were constantly in my head and in my dreams. I missed you terribly. There was a huge piece of me that was missing - the piece I gave to you."

He smiled weakly. "That piece is love, Bones. By any other name, it is love." He searched her eyes. He was going to ask again and he needed an answer. "How could you just cut me out of your life like that?"

"I assumed that was our agreement; that it was what you wanted. We agreed to meet at the coffee cart in a year. There was no discussion of how we would communicate in the intervening months. I didn't have an email address, phone number or a mailing address for you. You didn't ask for mine. I suppose I could have found all that somehow, but communication was limited in the jungle as it was. I'm not sure what I would have said to you during that time, but if you had contacted me, I would have responded."

He shook his head: miscommunication. He was waiting for her, she was waiting for him. "I believed that you were dismissing me from your life. You were concerned about your ability to continue working cases with me. You didn't want to be with me ... romantically. It felt like I was being erased."

"No."

"That hurt far more than your rejection. It nearly destroyed me. I had to take my feelings for you and stuff them away, pretend they didn't exist. Then I met Hannah. She was alive and happy and free - and she wanted me. She was easy to be with. She was fun. She made me feel desired. She made me feel like I mattered."

"You have always mattered to me, Booth."

He shook his head slowly. "I wasn't feeling it. I allowed myself to love Hannah. I told myself that I did. I convinced myself that our different goals would be worked out. It was new; you forgive new love a lot because it's so young. I would have stayed with it, with her, until we reached an impasse. And that's what happened. We reached a point where we had to decide if there would be compromise. There wasn't, so we separated. Does it mean that my love was not real? No. Does it mean that I have to morn that loss? No. It was what it was. I know that I was honest with her, as honest as I could be given the situation."

Brennan nodded. She was with him so far. But there was one more question to be answered.

"I never stopped loving you, but it was denied to me. You are a very decisive woman, Temperance Brennan. When you say no, you mean no. I admit I didn't react well particularly after we got back to work. Those feelings were still there and asking to be let out, but I had to suppress them back and I took that out on you. You understand?"

Brennan was still not good at metaphor, but she didn't ask him to explain. Maybe she would another day.

"But then one rainy night you changed all that. You reached in and opened the place where I had stuffed all those feelings."

"Booth, these metaphors are very confusing."

"You told me that you wanted me. You allowed me to love you."

"You said I was too late."

"You said you were too late. I said I was involved with someone else."

"And that she was not a consolation prize."

"She wasn't. Hannah was a choice I made after my first choice was denied to me. That's how love goes. I need love in my life Temperance. I have so much to give. I don't want to be alone anymore. There's no reason either of us has to be alone." He squeezed her hand.

"Agreed."

"Yeah?" A smiled edged his lips.

"Yeah." She returned the smile.

He leaned closer to her. "Yeah?"

She leaned into him. "Yeah."

Booth closed the distance between them and sealed their new understanding with a kiss.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Booth felt that he had won a huge victory until Brennan pointed out that she still had every intention of going to Ireland the next day. She agreed with everything he said about what he wanted, about how they would move on together, what they could expect. Her only comments were that they take it slowly. It had been a very emotional time for all of them including Parker. Booth agreed. He finally accepted her choice to go to Ireland but made her promise to call, email, text and send a postcard every day while she was gone. Brennan felt that that was over kill, but agreed.

They had dinner that night - the three of them. Booth actually cooked - steak and baked potatoes, but at least it wasn't takeout food. It was a really nice comfortable evening. If Parker noticed he didn't let on, but Booth and Brennan were looking at each other differently. Their eyes held each other's gaze longer. They were on their way.

The good bye was done in the drive way. Several kisses, promises to be careful and to call were exchanged. Brennan refused the ride to the airport in the morning owing to Booth's new routine. In an effort to show Booth that she had heard his request to contact him during their separations, she called him when she got home. They talked for a while from bed. Not the silly stuff that normal pre-lovers discuss, but it was still very romantic.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Brennan woke early. She had to pack. More than twice she found herself lost in thought thinking about Booth. She enjoyed their new closeness. The timeframe no longer seemed too short. According to Booth time was relative. She didn't take up that argument. She got to the airport at least two hours early. She passed through security and was sitting in an airport restaurant/bar drinking coffee. Her mind was not on the trip or the research she would be doing. Ian O'Dwyer was the furthest thing from her mind. She began to question why she wanted to go. Yes, there was a new find and it would be very beneficial if she were there from the outset to do the investigation. In his last email O'Dwyer estimated the find to be from the Iron Age. It was incredible; too good to pass up. An experience she would probably never be afforded again. Once in a lifetime.

Brennan looked down at her ticket. Boarding was still over an hour away. It was a sixteen hour flight to Dublin, and another several hours out to the site. She had made longer treks for less important finds. She checked the time again. She made a decision. She picked up her carry-on bag and headed away from the gate. The further away from the gate she got, the more quickly she walked until she was practically running for the airport entrance. Just as she was passing security a TSA agent stopped her.

"Dr Brennan," he called to her as two other men blocked her way. "You are Dr. Brennan, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I'm in a terrible hurry."

"Yes, ma'am I can see that, but I am sorry you will have to come with me."

"Why? I'm leaving. I won't be getting on the plane."

"Yes, ma'am. But you have already checked your luggage. You are aware that it is a federal offence to leave the airport after you have checked your bag."

"You are not serious."

"I'm very serious, Dr. Brennan. Please come with me."

She reluctantly followed him to a sterile room. They sat in silence for at least five minutes.

"Are you going to question me?"

"No ma'am. We are waiting for your ... luggage to be retrieved."

"Do you think I put something in my luggage?"

"That's what we will find out."

"This is ridiculous. You do know that I work with the FBI."

"Really?" The guard was unimpressed.

"FBI ... Special Agent Seeley Booth, Major Crimes Investigation, D.C. Bones Identifies bodies for us."

Brennan turned to see Booth standing in the doorway looking every bit the White Knight she knew he was. Brennan's face broke into a grand smile. Without turning back to the TSA agent she asked, "You received a hold for questioning request from the FBI, didn't you?" She stood and walked toward Booth.

Booth flashed a charmed smile.

"She's all yours," the TSA agent said as he slipped from the room.

"Yes, she is." Booth said. They were standing very close.

"Yes, I am."

They hesitated before both speaking at once.

"You're not going," he said.

"I'm not going," she said.

They folded into an embraced and kissed.

"Can we get out of here?" she asked.

"Any where you want to go."

"My apartment." Her voice was low and breathy. A sly smile edged her lips and there was a twinkle in her eyes.

He kissed her again and led her from the room with his hand no longer at the small of her back; it was firmly on the waist holding her close.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Several hours later they were entwined in each other's arms in her bedroom. She had her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest making lazy circles. His arm was around her and he was running his fingers over the soft skin of her arms. They were happy.

"So what will you do about your book?" he asked.

"I will put that one away."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I have an idea for another Kathy Reichs story."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I think she has a lot more story left to tell."

"Yes she does." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close to him. "Will Agent Andy be in it?"

She tilted her face up to his. "Of course. Where would Kathy be without Andy?" She kissed his lips lightly.

"I'm hoping we never find out." He kissed her back but it wasn't lightly.

"Me too."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: Long live Booth and Brennan - together at last - with a lot more story to tell.**


End file.
